Lewiston shooter had ‘low threat profile’ when released from hospital, Army lieutenant colonel says – NBC Boston

An Army Reserve lieutenant colonel told a committee of inquiry Monday that a reservist who committed the deadliest mass murder in Maine state history was not a particularly dangerous being when he left a psychiatric hospital before the murders.

Lt. Col. Ryan Vazquez also testified that there were restrictions on forcing the shooter, Reservist Robert Card, to undergo a mental health treatment plan in civilian life. He also said there was no mechanism for the Army Reserve to confiscate Card's civilian weapons or keep them under normal circumstances.

Vazquez, a battalion commander in charge of more than 200 reservists, testified before a state commission investigating the Lewiston shootings to answer questions about what Army officials knew about Card before the Oct. 25 shooting that killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar and grill.

Other reservists said they witnessed Card's deteriorating mental health until he was hospitalized for two weeks during training last summer. One of the reservists, Sean Hodgson, told his superiors on Sept. 15, “I think he's going to snap and commit mass murder.”

Vazquez told the commission on Monday that Card is considered a “low threat” and should be kept away from weapons because he is taking medication after his hospitalization, and that there is no evidence that he is capable of such drastic acts as mass murder.

He later learned of Card's threat in September to “shoot up” the Army of Saco, where his unit was stationed. Still, he said his authority over Card was limited as long as he was a civilian and not on military duty.

“If they don't cooperate with treatment, I don't have many tools in my toolbox,” he said.

“I think we're dealing with a person who was struggling with a lot of issues at the time and whose condition was deteriorating,” he added. “So if I could predict what he would have done and how he would have done it, I'm completely out of my depth.”

Vazquez testified before an independent commission appointed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. The commission has held several public meetings with police and military officials, victims' families, survivors and others to gain a fuller picture of the circumstances of the shootings.

An interim report released by the commission in March concluded that police should have confiscated Card's weapons and taken him into protective custody weeks before Maine's deadliest mass murder. Card committed suicide following the shooting.

Card's commanding officer also admitted to the independent commission in April that he did not intervene when the reservist missed counseling sessions and that he did not try to check whether the shooter's family had taken his weapons away from him.
On Monday, members of the Lewiston commission acknowledged during Vazquez's testimony that Card's Army superiors faced restrictions in the months leading up to the shootings.

“We have all become very aware of how little authority the command structure has over the reservists,” said Paula Silsby, a member of the commission and former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine.

The shootings are also the subject of a review by the Army Reserve and an investigation by the Army Inspector General. Army officials have indicated that the reports could be available in early summer. Vazquez said during Monday's hearing that he did not know when the Army Reserve report would come out.

An Army health official told the panel last week that another challenge is that reservists have limited health insurance compared to full-time soldiers.

The Lewiston Commission is expected to release its full report on the shooting this summer.