Families of victims in Maine mass shooting say they want a broader investigation into killings

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Families of the victims of the deadliest mass shooting in Maine’s history said Wednesday that they want a broader federal investigation into the circumstance surrounding the killings.

The request came in a statement issued by the relatives’ lawyers a day after Army officials released a pair of reports about the October shootings. One of the reports said three Army Reserve officers were disciplined in the aftermath of the shootings, which were carried out by a reservist.

The “narrow scope” of the Army reviews and conflicting conclusions in the reports were “troubling” for the families, the attorneys said. They called on Maine’s congressional delegation to push for an investigation by the Inspector General for the Department of Defense into the events leading up to the shootings.

The broader investigation is needed to identify “system failures that caused numerous warning signs to be overlooked” about the shooter, attorneys Travis Brennan and Ben Gideon wrote.

“A DOD IG should be appointed to further investigate, answer outstanding questions, and address the conflicting conclusions between the reports,” they said.

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Army officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

The shootings happened at a bowling alley and at a bar and grill in Lewiston. Robert Card, who was in the midst of a spiraling mental health crisis, killed 18 people, while 13 survived gunshot wounds and 20 others suffered other types of injuries. Card later died by suicide.

An independent commission established by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is also investigating, and its report is expected to be completed this summer.

The reports released Tuesday showed there was “a series of failures by unit leadership,” according to Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, chief of the Army Reserve. The reports documented that Card boasted that he could kill 100 people with a rifle scope that he bought, and told a health care provider that he decided to quit his job “before he ended up killing someone.”

The reports also recommended procedural changes and new policies to better manage reservists’ mental health. The four members of Maine’s congressional delegation said Tuesday in a joint statement that the Department of Defense should swiftly implement the recommendations.

“While we cannot undo this tragedy, we can do our best to learn from past errors,” they said.