According to reports, state authorities had mass killer Robert Card on their radar as early as mid-September. Card slaughtered at least eighteen people in a horrific massacre in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday.
Card opened fire on a pub and bowling alley in Lewiston, producing the greatest mass shooting in the history of the Pine Tree State. He killed at least eighteen people and injured thirteen more. Following a two-day search, he was discovered dead on Friday night, and authorities determined that he had shot himself in the head.
Police informed the Associated Press that they were made aware of “veiled threats” by Card, a reservist in the U.S. Army, following his threats against soldiers at the Saco National Guard Base in southern Maine.
Authorities ended their inquiry when they went to Card’s house but were unable to locate him.
“We added extra patrols, we did that for about two weeks,” Saco Police Chief Jack Clements explained. “The guy never showed up.”
“Never came in contact with this guy, never received any phone calls from the reserve centre saying, ‘Hey, we got somebody who was causing a problem,’” he added. “We never got anything.”
After receiving word from the Army Reserve, Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry notified all Maine law enforcement agencies; however, after conducting a welfare check at Card’s residence, Merry was unable to locate the man.
“We couldn’t locate him,” Merry said.
The FBI told the AP that they were not aware of suspicious activity from Card, explaining they “did not have nor did [we] receive any tips or information concerning Robert Card.”
“[The background check system] was not provided with or in possession of any information that would have prohibited Card from a lawful firearm purchase,” the agency added.
