{"id":535,"date":"2025-09-03T12:36:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T12:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/lewiston-families-sue-us-army-negligence\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T12:36:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T12:36:14","slug":"lewiston-families-sue-us-army-negligence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/lewiston-families-sue-us-army-negligence\/","title":{"rendered":"Lewiston Shooting Survivors, Families Sue U.S., Citing Army Negligence"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p><time datetime=\"2025-09-03T07:25:00-04:00\">September 3, 2025<\/time> \u2014 More than 100 survivors of the 2023 Lewiston, Maine mass shooting and relatives of the victims filed a federal lawsuit against the United States, alleging the Army failed to intervene as reservist Robert Card\u2019s mental health deteriorated, enabling an attack that killed 18 people and wounded others.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Over 100 plaintiffs are suing the U.S. government in federal court, alleging negligence tied to the U.S. Army\u2019s handling of Robert Card.<\/li>\n<li>The complaint says by March 2023 officials knew Card was paranoid, delusional, and violent, and knew he had access to guns.<\/li>\n<li>Plaintiffs allege the Army promised to remove Card\u2019s firearms, failed to follow through, and misled or withheld information from local police.<\/li>\n<li>Card was hospitalized during July 2023 training in New York; Army Reserve officials later acknowledged no one ensured medication or follow\u2011up care.<\/li>\n<li>A fellow reservist warned in September 2023 that Card might carry out a mass shooting.<\/li>\n<li>Card killed 18 people on October 25, 2023, at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston; he was found dead by suicide two days later.<\/li>\n<li>The Army\u2019s post\u2011incident review cited leadership failures; three Reserve leaders were disciplined.<\/li>\n<li>Maine enacted new gun laws after the attack; at least one measure has been paused pending litigation by gun\u2011rights groups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Verified Facts<\/h2>\n<p>The Lewiston shootings on October 25, 2023, unfolded at a bowling alley and a bar and grill, leaving 18 people dead in Maine\u2019s deadliest mass shooting. A two\u2011day manhunt ended when Robert Card, an Army reservist identified as the suspect, was found dead by suicide on October 27.<\/p>\n<p>The new lawsuit, filed on behalf of more than 100 survivors and family members, names the United States as defendant and asserts government negligence \u201cdirectly and proximately caused\u201d the massacre. Plaintiffs describe the tragedy as preventable and contend that Army personnel violated mandatory policies and failed to act on escalating warning signs.<\/p>\n<p>According to the complaint, by March 2023 officials were aware Card exhibited paranoia, delusions, violent behavior, and poor impulse control. The suit says the Army knew he possessed firearms, promised to secure them, and failed to do so. It further alleges Army personnel withheld critical information and misled local law enforcement, hindering interventions that might have separated Card from weapons.<\/p>\n<p>Card\u2019s mental health crisis prompted a July 2023 hospitalization in New York during a training rotation involving West Point cadets. Army Reserve officials later acknowledged that no one ensured he took prescribed medication or complied with follow\u2011up care upon returning to Bowdoin, Maine. A fellow reservist texted in September 2023 a warning that Card might \u201csnap\u201d and commit a mass shooting.<\/p>\n<p>An independent commission appointed by Maine\u2019s governor concluded there were multiple missed opportunities for both Army officials and civilian law enforcement to intervene prior to the attack. Separately, the Army\u2019s own review \u2014 described by then\u2011Army Reserve chief Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels \u2014 found \u201ca series of failures by unit leadership.\u201d Three Reserve leaders were disciplined for dereliction of duty. The Army said it would review findings and implement changes to prevent similar events.<\/p>\n<h2>Context &#038; Impact<\/h2>\n<p>Plaintiffs\u2019 attorneys began the process of suing the federal government less than a year ago by filing notices of claim \u2014 a prerequisite in many federal tort actions. They plan to release additional details at a Wednesday news conference in Lewiston.<\/p>\n<p>The case could test how far federal liability extends when service members exhibit serious mental health concerns and pose risks to the public. Outcomes may influence protocols for coordinating between military commands and local police, especially regarding access to firearms and compliance with treatment plans.<\/p>\n<p>In Maine, the shootings spurred a slate of gun\u2011policy changes, which remain politically and legally contested. Gun\u2011rights advocates have challenged parts of the new laws, and a judge has paused at least one measure while litigation proceeds.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: How lawsuits against the U.S. typically proceed<\/summary>\n<p>Most negligence claims against federal agencies are brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Common requirements include: filing a written administrative claim; waiting for an agency decision (or six months) before suing; and suing in federal district court. The government can assert immunities and exceptions, and damages are generally limited to what was claimed administratively. The article does not confirm which statute the plaintiffs are invoking here.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Timeline of key events<\/summary>\n<ul>\n<li>March 2023: Officials allegedly aware of Card\u2019s paranoia, delusions, and access to firearms.<\/li>\n<li>July 2023: Card hospitalized during Army Reserve training in New York; follow\u2011up care reportedly not enforced.<\/li>\n<li>September 2023: Fellow reservist warns that Card may commit a mass shooting.<\/li>\n<li>October 25, 2023: 18 people killed in shootings at a Lewiston bowling alley and bar.<\/li>\n<li>October 27, 2023: Card found dead by suicide.<\/li>\n<li>August 2025: Governor\u2019s independent commission issues final report citing missed opportunities to intervene.<\/li>\n<li>September 3, 2025: Survivors and families file federal lawsuit against the United States.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h3>Official Statements<\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Our review identified a series of leadership failures. The Army is committed to acting on the findings to prevent future tragedies.<\/p>\n<p><cite>U.S. Army Reserve<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Unconfirmed<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The specific statute(s) under which the lawsuit was filed (e.g., FTCA) have not been confirmed in the article.<\/li>\n<li>The case caption, docket number, and full list of defendants were not provided.<\/li>\n<li>The precise damages sought by plaintiffs were not disclosed.<\/li>\n<li>Details about the three disciplined Army Reserve leaders were not specified.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Bottom Line<\/h3>\n<p>Survivors and families argue the Lewiston massacre was preventable and blame federal negligence for missed chances to disarm and treat the shooter. The suit will probe how the Army handled escalating warnings and what responsibility the government bears when a service member poses a known risk.<\/p>\n<p>What happens next could reshape military\u2011civilian coordination on firearm access and mental health crises \u2014 in Maine and beyond.<\/p>\n<h3>Sources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN \u2013 U.S. News<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State of Maine \u2013 Governor\u2019s Independent Commission materials<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usar.army.mil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Army Reserve \u2013 Official statements<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.uscourts.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. District Court, District of Maine<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AP News \u2013 Maine gun law litigation coverage<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>September 3, 2025 \u2014 More than 100 survivors of the 2023 Lewiston, Maine mass shooting and relatives of the victims filed a federal lawsuit against the United States, alleging the Army failed to intervene as reservist Robert Card\u2019s mental health deteriorated, enabling an attack that killed 18 people and wounded others. Key Takeaways Over 100 &#8230; <a title=\"Lewiston Shooting Survivors, Families Sue U.S., Citing Army Negligence\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/lewiston-families-sue-us-army-negligence\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Lewiston Shooting Survivors, Families Sue U.S., Citing Army Negligence\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Lewiston Survivors, Families Sue U.S. Over Army Failures | Atlas News","rank_math_description":"Over 100 Lewiston shooting survivors and families sue the U.S., alleging Army negligence let Robert Card carry out the 2023 attack that killed 18. See the claims, timeline, and stakes.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Lewiston mass shooting,U.S. Army Reserve,negligence lawsuit,Robert Card,Maine gun laws","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}