Maine commission investigating mass shootings wants to subpoena killer's military records - newsflash.me

AUGUSTA, Maine — An independent committee investigating nan mass shooting that killed 18 group successful Maine past period moved Monday to activity lawsuit powerfulness truthful it tin get nan subject work records of nan shooter.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey person tasked nan committee pinch performing a reappraisal of nan events starring up to nan Lewiston shootings and nan consequence to it. Army reservist Robert Card, 40, killed 18 group successful a bowling alley and a edifice connected Oct. 25 earlier dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The committee held its first gathering connected Monday and members unanimously voted to petition lawsuit powerfulness from nan Maine Legislature.

“We will beryllium seeking subject records, and those mightiness not beryllium accessible to america without lawsuit power,” said Toby Dilworth, a erstwhile adjunct U.S. lawyer for nan District of Maine and a committee member. “It’s basal that we person this lawsuit power.”

The committee is chaired by Daniel Wathen, erstwhile main justness of nan Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Other members see Debra Baeder, nan erstwhile main forensic scientist for nan state, and Paula Silsby, a erstwhile U.S. lawyer for nan District of Maine.

The sheet is expected to investigate potential missed opportunities to forestall nan shootings. Card was good known to rule enforcement and chap work members had raised flags astir his behavior, intelligence wellness authorities and imaginable for unit earlier nan shootings. Card spent two weeks successful a psychiatric hospital in New York past summertime aft an altercation pinch different reserve members.

Mills and Frey swiftly released a connection that they supported nan move to usage lawsuit power. Mills, who created nan committee via executive order, has called connected nan committee to travel nan facts of nan lawsuit and support them arsenic transparent to nan nationalist arsenic possible.

Police gathered astatine Rober Card's location aft nan wide shooting successful Maine killed 18 people. The sheet seeks to reply if Card could person been stopped. Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Mills and Frey said successful their connection they would “immediately statesman consulting pinch nan Independent Commission and legislative activity to hole authorities granting nan committee nan powerfulness of subpoena, pinch nan extremity of having that authorities prepared for nan Legislature’s information astatine nan opening of nan adjacent session.”

The committee will meet again connected Dec. 14, Wathen said. He said his extremity was for nan committee to nutrient a written study wrong six months, which was a timeline he called “a very eager goal, but highly desirable for evident reasons.”

The committee besides took comments from nan nationalist connected Monday. Rep. Suzanne Salisbury, a Westbrook Democrat, called connected nan committee to collaborate pinch rule enforcement arsenic it performs its review.

“I dream that rule enforcement’s sound tin beryllium heard and utilized arsenic nan experts they are,” Salisbury said.