Current:Home > reviewsAfter mass shooting, bill would require Army to use state crisis laws to remove weapons -Dynamic Wealth Solutions
After mass shooting, bill would require Army to use state crisis laws to remove weapons
View
Date:2025-04-15 09:07:31
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A bill that’s being introduced Monday after a mass shooting in Maine would require the Army to use state crisis intervention laws to remove the weapons of a service member who is deemed to be a serious threat to themselves or others, said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, the bill’s sponsor.
The Armed Forces Crisis Intervention Notification Act is aimed at addressing missed opportunities by the military and civilian law enforcement to intervene before an Army reservist who had spiraled into psychosis opened fire at two locations in Lewiston, Maine, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others on Oct. 25, 2023.
“We have a chance to help service members in crisis. We have a chance to help protect our neighbors and families. We have a chance to save lives,” Collins said in a statement. Maine’s other senator, independent Angus King, is a co-sponsor of the bill.
This bill seeks to ensure communication between state agencies and military service branches after criticism that the Army wasn’t as forthcoming as it could’ve been with state law enforcement officials about the gunman, 40-year-old Robert Card, before the shooting rampage. It requires the military to participate in state crisis actions, including so-called red flag or yellow flag laws aimed at removing weapons from someone who’s experiencing a psychiatric emergency.
Law enforcement officials had known about Card’s growing paranoia, and Card had been hospitalized last summer while his reserve unit was training in New York state. Health care providers who assessed him said he was psychotic and had a hit list, and recommended that he not have access to weapons.
Military officials restricted Card’s access to military weapons but Card still had access to privately owned weapons at his home in Bowdoin, Maine.
The Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office was asked to go to Card’s home and check on his well-being after he’d threatened to “shoot up” the home of his Army Reserve unit, but the deputies were unaware of details about what happened in New York state or the extent of his mental health crisis.
This bill wouldn’t affect the military’s existing authority to disarm service members in a broad range of situations, Collins said. Instead, the bill aims to eliminate a gap in communication between military and civilian law enforcement that could’ve prevented the tragedy in Maine.
“We cannot bring back our friends and family members we lost last October, but we can take steps to fix the cracks in the system that led to the tragedy,” King added.
The mass shooting has been investigated by an independent commission appointed by the governor, along with the Army Reserve and by the Army Office of the Inspector General. Maine Gov. Janet Mills said that the tragedy “was caused by a colossal failure of human judgment by several people, on several occasions.”
veryGood! (349)
prev:A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
next:'Most Whopper
Related
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Pacific Northwest hunkers down for ice and freezing rain, while other US regions also battle cold
- US in deep freeze while much of the world is extra toasty? Yet again, it’s climate change
- Supporters of former Haitian rebel leader Guy Philippe launch widespread protests
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- These Are the 26 Beauty Products That Amazon Can’t Keep In Stock
- New York governor wants to spend $2.4B to help deal with migrant influx in new budget proposal
- Biden invites congressional leaders to White House during difficult talks on Ukraine aid
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Bride arrested for extortion in Mexico, handcuffed in her wedding dress
Ranking
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Top official says Kansas courts need at least $2.6 million to recover from cyberattack
- French President Macron uses broad news conference to show his leadership hasn’t faded
- Linton Quadros - Founder of EIF Business School
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Woman dies after falling 100 feet in Virginia cave
- One of the world's most venomous snakes found hiding in boy's underwear drawer
- China starts publishing youth jobless data again, with a new method and a lower number
Recommendation
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
New bipartisan bill proposes increase in child tax credit, higher business deductions
Linton Quadros – Founder of EIF Business School, AI Robotics profit 4.0 Strategy Explained
Biden administration asks Supreme Court to intervene in its dispute with Texas over border land
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Blake Lively Proves Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Bond Lives on With America Ferrera Tribute
Coachella 2024: Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and Tyler, the Creator to headline, No Doubt to reunite
Two Malaysian filmmakers are charged with offending the religious feelings of others in banned film