CNN
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The suspect in the Mass shooting in Maine This summer, he began making statements about hearing voices and wanting to hurt his comrades while serving on a military base, and spent a few weeks in a hospital, enforcement officials told CNN laws.
But a relative of the suspect and two former colleagues in the Army Reserve told CNN they did not know he had a history of long-standing mental health problems – although a former colleague remembered him as d ‘a talented marksman and outdoorsman who was among the best shooters. in his unit.
Robert R. Card II, wanted by police in connection with the fatal shootings of at least 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, made his disturbing statements while at the Camp Smith training center in New York, law enforcement said. His command referred him to a military hospital and he spent a few weeks being evaluated, they said.
In July, Army Reserve officials reported Card for his “erratic behavior” and he was transported to the nearby Keller Army Community Hospital at the United States Military Academy for a ” medical evaluation,” a National Guard spokesperson told CNN.
“Out of concern for safety, the unit has requested that law enforcement be contacted,” said spokesman Col. Richard Goldenberg. New York State Police responded and transported Card to the hospital, he said.
Card then spent several weeks being evaluated at the hospital, law enforcement said.
Card, 40, also threatened to shoot up a National Guard base in Maine, law enforcement officials previously told CNN.
Card’s sister-in-law, Katie O’Neill, said in a brief conversation with CNN on Thursday that Card did not have a long history of mental health issues.
“This is something that was an acute episode. That’s not who he is,” O’Neill said. “He’s not someone who’s had mental health issues in his life or anything like that. »
Except for a 2007 arrest for alleged driving under the influence, the suspect is not known to either the ATF or FBI records, according to law enforcement sources. He legally owns several guns and owns a home on hundreds of acres of land in Maine, the sources said.
Card is a petroleum supply specialist in the Army Reserve and first enlisted in 2002, according to records provided Thursday by the Army. He has no combat deployments, records show.
Clifford Steeves, of Massachusetts, told CNN that he knew Card when they served together in the Army Reserves, from the early 2000s until about a decade ago. He said he never witnessed any concerning behavior from Card.
“He was a very nice guy – very calm. He never abused his authority or was mean or rude to other soldiers,” Steeves said. “It’s really upsetting.”
Steeves said the two men served together across the country in different locations, including Wisconsin, Georgia and New York. He said he felt like he “grew up” with Card because they entered the military as young men and trained together.
Steeves said that although “aggressive leadership was very important” in the military, Card stood out for being a “rational, understanding person” who “led through respect rather than fear.”
Steeves said Card had never seen combat but had extensive training, including firearms training and land navigation, “so he would be very comfortable in the woods.” He described Card as an “outdoors guy” and a talented sniper who was one of the best shooters in his unit.
Another former Army Reserve member who served with Card also described him as a “nice guy” who “never had a problem with anyone.” The soldier, who asked to speak anonymously because of the sensitivity of the situation, does not recall Card engaging in any violent behavior.
Card studied engineering technology at the University of Maine between 2001 and 2004, but did not graduate, Eric Gordon, a university spokesman, told CNN.
Public records show Card’s addresses in Bowdoin, Maine, a town near Lewiston. Card appears to have been a member of a local horseshoe throwing club in nearby Lisbon, Maine, according to a local news report and a Facebook photo showing him wearing a T-shirt with the club’s logo.
An account on social media platform
When WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from custody in Russia after a prisoner exchange for a convicted arms dealer, the account posted what appeared to be her only tweet. In response to a CNBC article on the subject, the account wrote, “A mass murderer for a wnba player, great job, keep up the good work,” in an apparent attack on President Joe Biden.
The account liked a tweet earlier this year from right-wing author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza opposing the assault weapons ban, as well as other tweets from political figures like Donald Trump Jr. and Tucker Carlson.
