Maine Shooting Victims & Survivors Sue US Government Over Alleged Negligence

In a powerful and poignant pursuit of justice, survivors and the grieving families of those lost in the horrific October 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, have taken a significant step: filing a lawsuit against the United States government. This legal action casts a stark spotlight on alleged failures by the U.S.

Army and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to act on a chilling series of warnings that, plaintiffs argue, could have prevented the devastating tragedy.

The lawsuit contends that both federal entities demonstrated critical negligence in their handling of Robert Card, the perpetrator responsible for claiming 18 innocent lives and injuring 13 others.

Central to the claim are numerous distress signals and explicit threats made by Card that, according to the legal filing, were either overlooked or inadequately addressed.

For months leading up to the rampage, a troubling pattern emerged. Card's own family members, concerned by his escalating paranoia and erratic behavior, alerted authorities.

Fellow Army reservists also voiced serious concerns, detailing threats he made against military facilities and his increasingly unstable mental state. These warnings culminated in Card being involuntarily committed for a mental health evaluation in the summer of 2023, a critical juncture that the lawsuit asserts should have triggered more decisive action.

Specifically, the plaintiffs allege that the U.S.

Army failed to properly report Card's involuntary commitment to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Under federal law, individuals involuntarily committed for mental health treatment are prohibited from possessing firearms. Had this information been accurately entered and acted upon, the lawsuit suggests Card might have been disarmed, thereby averting the subsequent massacre.

Furthermore, the lawsuit points to the missed opportunity to utilize Maine's "yellow flag" law.

While local police attempted to conduct a welfare check and initiate the process, they were unable to directly reach Card, and the full implementation of the law, which could have led to his firearms being temporarily removed, was not completed. The plaintiffs argue that a more robust intervention by federal agencies, privy to the comprehensive warnings, could have compelled action that local authorities alone struggled to achieve.

This lawsuit isn't merely about financial compensation; it's a profound demand for accountability.

The families and survivors are seeking to hold the federal government responsible for what they perceive as a cascade of failures and a tragic dereliction of duty. They hope this legal battle will not only bring some measure of justice for their unbearable losses but also serve as a critical catalyst for systemic changes, ensuring that such clear warning signs are never ignored again, and preventing future communities from enduring similar unspeakable pain.