Maine Mass Shooting Survivors Sue US Army Over Negligence

Survivors and families of victims from the 2023 Lewiston, Maine mass shooting are suing the U.S. government, alleging negligence by the Army and military medical officials for failing to act on repeated warnings about the gunman Robert Card's deteriorating mental health. The lawsuit claims the Army was aware of Card's paranoia, delusions, violence, and access to firearms but did not take adequate steps to remove his weapons or intervene effectively, despite promises to do so. An independent commission found that Army leaders ignored mental health providers' recommendations and neglected to ensure Card's firearms were removed, while the Army also allegedly withheld information and misled local law enforcement, preventing intervention. Card had been hospitalized after an altercation and exhibited homicidal ideations, yet broader measures to restrict his access to firearms were not implemented. The legal action, filed in federal court on behalf of over 100 plaintiffs, asserts that the Army's failures directly caused the mass shooting that killed 18 people and that accountability is unlikely without court intervention. The case echoes a 2017 precedent where partial liability was found against the U.S. government in a similar mass shooting scenario.