Senator Collins’ Statement on Independent Commission’s Report on Lewiston Shooting

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement on the release of the final report of the independent commission established by Governor Janet Mills to investigate the facts of last October’s tragedy in Lewiston. 

Senator Collins’ statement is as follows:

“As was the case with the Army Reserve and Army Inspector General reports, the Lewiston Commission‘s report contributes to our understanding of what happened on and before October 25, 2023, and what could have been done differently at the local, county, state, and federal levels. 

“I am working on legislation, informed by the findings in this report and the reviews conducted by the Army, that would direct the military to utilize fully state crisis intervention programs to help prevent future events like this horrific mass shooting, while also protecting the Second Amendment and due process rights of our service members.

“We can—and must—work together to help prevent future such tragedies.  I appreciate the Commission’s contributions to this effort.”

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In November 2023, Senator Collins called for the Army Inspector General 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.

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, both of who 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.

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