Army reservist’s family describes struggle to get him help before mass shooting in Maine

Cara Lamb, ex-wife of shooter Robert Card, testifies in Augusta, Maine, to the independent commission investigating the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Hearing public testimony from Robert Card’s family for the first time, an independent commission investigating the mass shooting opened with Card’s sister, Nicole Herling, and her husband, James Herling, on Thursday. One reservist, Sean Hodgson, told superiors on Sept. 15: “I believe he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting.” The commission issued an interim report in March saying law enforcement should have seized Card’s guns and put him in protective custody based on warnings, using the existing yellow flag law. Police testified that the family had agreed to remove Card’s guns, but the commission said leaving such a task to them “was an abdication of law enforcement’s responsibility.” One family member accused a deputy of pressuring the family to take responsibility for the guns so that he could wrap up his investigation and go on vacation. Commission chair Daniel Wathen thanked the family, acknowledging that “the spotlight you’ve been placed in is not something you wanted.” Associated Press writer Whittle reported from Augusta and Sharp from Portland, Maine.