PORTLAND, Maine – A legislative committee in Maine is considering an emergency request to grant powers to a panel investigating the mass shooting that took place in Lewiston last year, which resulted in the deaths of 18 people. The independent commission is looking into the October shootings and is seeking subpoena power to access critical information, including the shooter’s military records. This request has the support of Democratic Governor Janet Mills, who has emphasized the importance of unraveling how the tragic events unfolded.
The Committee on Judiciary of the Maine Legislature held an emergency public hearing on the request, with plans to vote on the bill seeking subpoena power. The commission is particularly interested in bringing Army officials to testify about the shooter and former reservist Robert Card’s history in March. Both Democratic and Republican leaders of the Legislature are backing Mills’ proposal for subpoena power, emphasizing the need for answers regarding the system’s failure to prevent the mass shooting.
The shooter, Robert Card, carried out the killings on October 25 and subsequently died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The independent commission is aiming to investigate potential missed opportunities to prevent the shootings, including Card’s history of mental health issues and a previous altercation with other reservists that led to a stay in a psychiatric hospital in New York. The subpoena power is critical in ensuring that the commission has the necessary tools to determine the facts of the tragedy in Lewiston, according to Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey.
Despite strong support for the proposal, there is opposition from the Maine Policy Institute, a free-market think tank, which testified against the proposal, expressing concerns about the independence of the commission members. Nevertheless, the independent commission has already begun taking testimony, hearing from members of the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement officers highlighted limitations in the state’s yellow flag law, which allows guns to be confiscated from someone in a mental health crisis.
The urgency and complexity of the situation in Lewiston have sparked a call for increased investigative powers, shedding light on the need for comprehensive and effective measures to prevent such tragedies in the future. The outcome of the legislative committee’s decision on the request for subpoena power will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the course of the investigation and the pursuit of justice for the victims and their families.