Over 100 Lewiston, Maine, Shooting Survivors and Victims’ Families Sue the US
On October 25th, 2023, a man named Robert Card walked into Just-in-Time Recreation, a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, and opened fire. Shortly after, he entered Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, an establishment about four miles south, and opened fire again. Card then fled Lewiston and was found dead two days later in a small town called Lisbon, eight miles southeast of Lewiston.
Between the shootings at the two locations, 18 people were killed and 13 injured. The two-day-long manhunt left the people of the town of Lewiston and the surrounding areas in a shelter-in-place mandate, leaving the community in terror as they waited for news of Card’s apprehension.
Now, almost two years later, the survivors and families of the victims are speaking up and making their voices heard as an investigation has officially revealed the government could have done more to prevent this event from ever occurring.
Card was an Army reservist, giving him access to military-grade weapons. Prior to the shooting, Card was reported to have exhibited several instances of red flag behavior as his mental health declined, but nothing was done despite multiple reports being made.
Recently, an independent commission appointed by the governor of Maine found that there were several opportunities where the Army and civilian law could have intervened and prevented this event from occurring. This revelation resulted in over 100 of the survivors and family members of victims deciding to take the matter to court and sue the US government for negligence, calling this shooting, “one of the most preventable mass tragedies in American history.”
On Wednesday, September 3rd, the lawsuit was filed alleging that Army officials and others failed to respond to the warning signs Card was exhibiting and, therefore, directly and proximately caused the mass shooting due to their lack of action. The plaintiffs of the lawsuit spoke at a press conference afterwards, sharing their heartbreak and hope for change.
“Losing both my husband and my son is a tragedy that never should have happened; it is a pain beyond words,” said Cynthia Young, one of the many plaintiffs fighting this battle in court. “We all hope these steps will prevent tragedies such as this from ever happening again.”
