Senator Collins’ Statement on Army Reserve and Army IG Reports on Lewiston Shooting

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement on the release of the U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Army Inspector General’s (IG) reports on the horrific mass shooting that occurred in Lewiston, Maine, on October 25, 2023.  In November 2023, Senator Collins called for the Army IG to conduct an independent review, in addition to the investigation being conducted pursuant to Army regulations, to more fully understand what happened and what can be done at the local, state, and federal levels to help prevent future tragedies.

Senator Collins’ statement is as follows:

“As we continue to grieve the lives lost in Lewiston on October 25, 2023, it is critical that we fully understand what happened—and what could have been done differently at the local, state, and federal levels. The Army Reserve has conducted an investigation pursuant to Army regulations, and at the request of the Maine Delegation, the Army Inspector General has conducted an independent review. 

“After reviewing both reports and being briefed by the Army Reserve leadership and the Army Inspector General, I believe these investigations have answered some important questions.  For instance, the Army Reserve investigation ‘identified multiple errors made by unit leadership, medical professionals, and law enforcement’ in the months before the shooting. These errors include significant breakdowns in Mr. Card’s medical care.

“The Army’s Psychological Health Program also clearly had inadequate procedures for following up with soldiers with mental illness, such as closing cases due to unresponsiveness.  When Mr. Card failed to respond to follow-up inquiries, that should have been considered a warning sign that his mental health was deteriorating and that he was unlikely to be following the protocols he had been given. 

“In my view, the findings of the investigations also establish that more could have been done to trigger Maine’s Yellow Flag law, which would have led to a court ruling, after an assessment by a medical practitioner, on whether Mr. Card should have been separated from his personal weapons. 

“There are other important questions that warrant additional inquiry. For example, according to the reports, the civilian hospital that treated Mr. Card initiated steps to involuntarily commit him when he sought release. A court hearing was scheduled for August 2, but Mr. Card rescinded his request to leave, and the hearing was cancelled.

“The hospital, nevertheless, released Card on August 3. It is unclear why he was released and whether the hospital provided adequate care. That facility did not fully cooperate with the Army Reserve’s or the Army Inspector General’s investigations, so these key questions remain unresolved. 

“Going forward, in my roles as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Defense Subcommittee, I will be closely tracking the implementation of the recommendations contained in these reports.  For instance, I fully support the Army Inspector General’s recommendations to review and revise existing behavioral health policies and procedures, update Army leader training, and expand the scope of the Army’s suicide prevention program. 

“Congress also has a role to play.  I am working on legislation, joined by Senator King and informed by the findings in these reports, that would direct the military to fully utilize state crisis intervention programs to help prevent future tragedies like this one, while also protecting the Second Amendment and due process rights of all of our service members. We are exploring ways to advance our bill, including through the annual National Defense Authorization Act.  

“While nothing we can do will bring back the lives lost in Lewiston, we can—and must—work together to help prevent future shootings.”

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As the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Defense, Senator Collins has repeatedly questioned top officials from the Department of Defense, including the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army, on the continued progress of the Army Reserve and Army IG investigations.  In response, both committed to work with her on drafting legislation that would require U.S. military services to report to the appropriate authorities when a service member poses a threat to him or herself, or to others, while protecting the Second Amendment rights of our service members.

Last month, Senator Collins pressed the Army Reserve Chief on the delay in releasing this report.

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