Documents show Maine gunman's family and friends thought he was "going to snap"
SACO, Maine - New court documents and search warrants unsealed Tuesday in connection to the Lewiston, Maine shooting say Robert Card's sister was the first to identify him after police released surveillance images. The documents also say Card chose the bowling alley and restaurant because he believed those sites were broadcasting information that he was a pedophile.
"I see him, the gun's at me, he fires twice, one hit me," said Alan Nickerson, Jr. who's among 13 survivors. His best friend Joe Walker was killed, along with 17 others. "God, I'm going to miss him so much," said Nickerson through tears.
As grief sets in, questions are emerging about how Robert Card was able to follow through with threats he had made before. Newly released documents from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's office show the signs were there. One was from the Army Reserve Training Facility in Saco on September 15th. The report says a fellow reservist "...was concerned that Card is going to snap and commit a mass shooting."
The report says after he became physically violent, shoving a friend, he spent two weeks in a mental facility during a training exercise in New York. "...Card said he has guns and is going to shoot up the drill center at Saco and other places."
Security analyst Ed Davis said the responsibility should not only fall on law enforcement. He said part of the problem is that privacy laws prevent mental health professionals from alerting law enforcement when they sense someone is dangerous. "How long can you incarcerate someone if they say something like this? How long can you hold them in a mental facility? How long can you hold them in a jail cell before they get out again? The law is not clear on this issue," Davis said.
Back on May 3, members of Card's family told a sheriff's deputy he was "...hearing voices or starting to experience paranoia." They also said he "...had recently picked up 10-15 handguns/rifles..."
A Maine State Police document made public Tuesday says it was Card's sister who called police to ID him, less than half an hour after his surveillance picture from the shooting was made public.
Minutes later, a family member told Lewiston Police that Card had been delusional since a bad-breakup with a girlfriend in February, a woman he met at Schemengees Bar and Grille.
The family told police that Card had been saying crazy things, accusing people at different businesses of spreading online rumors that he was a pedophile.
Two of those businesses were Schemengees and the Sparetime bowling alley were he killed 18 people, including at least one man he accused of spreading those rumors.
The reports give insight that is puzzling to locals dropping by temporary memorials for victims. "I was here like a week ago, I'm always here," said Ashley Gilman pointing to Schemengees. "So, these are familiar faces," she said. "I think it's definitely making sure you're checking on people, and if you see something like that, to reach out."