Could the Maine massacre have been prevented? Police were warned about Robert Card

• Police were warned about Robert Card.
• Could the Maine shooting have been prevented?
• There are lingering questions.

Maine authorities had troubling warning signs before Robert Card carried out the worst mass shooting in the state’s history.

These warnings have raised questions about what could have been done to prevent the tragedy.

A month ago, Maine police received information about «threats» made by Robert Card, a US Army reservist.

These threats were directed at both his military base and his fellow soldiers, prompting a statewide awareness alert in September.

Police were warned about Robert Card

Two local police chiefs briefed The Associated Press on the situation.

Despite being alerted to Robert Card’s threats, the authorities could not prevent the tragic massacre.

Police Chief Jack Clements in Saco, home to the US Army Reserve base where Card trained, spoke about the situation.

He explained that patrols at the base were intensified as a result of the alert and they visited Card’s residence.

Police didn’t find any reason to act on Robert Card’s threats

Unfortunately, none of these actions led to information that would allow them to investigate further.

Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry also took action in response to Card’s threats.

He reported that the department received an awareness alert from the Army Reserve in September.

After a deputy visited Card’s house but was unable to locate him, Merry extended the alert to all police agencies in the state.

The FBI did not have Card on their radar

Despite these warning signs and threats, the FBI stated that Robert Card was not on its radar.

In addition, there was no information in their background check system that would prevent him from legally purchasing firearms.

This case raises a number of questions about how law enforcement agencies and state laws can prevent incidents of this nature.

Maine, like other states, lacks a red flag law, which would allow authorities to temporarily remove firearms from people who are considered a threat.

Maine has a ‘yellow flag’ law

The state has a more limited «yellow flag” law.

This authorizes police to ask a judge to remove a person’s firearms if a doctor determines that person poses a threat.

This raises the question of whether similar measures could have been applied in Card’s case.

Saco Police Chief Jack Clements defended his department’s response to the tip about Card.

Police never directly contacted Robert Card

Clements has stated that the alert was quite generic and that his department receives numerous warnings of this type.

Though they did respond to the warnings, there was never direct contact with Card or additional information that would justify more drastic actions.

Another law enforcement agency that was warned about Robert Card was the New York State Police.

In July, commanders of the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment, alerted the NY state police about Card’s erratic behavior.

Nothing was done to stop the shooter

They warned of threats he had directed at other members of his unit during a training exercise at West Point.

Card, a sergeant first class, was taken to Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point, where he underwent a two-week mental health evaluation.

However, it is unclear what actions New York state authorities took regarding Card’s threats, according to The Associated Press.

The public expects police to have an effective response to credible threats that would have prevented a tragedy like this.