Maine shooting updates: Biden tells Lewiston ‘you are not alone’
President will meet with families and victims of the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, amid questions around whether Robert Card could have been stopped
President Joe Biden headed to Lewiston today to meet with families and victims of the mass shooting.
The president and first lady spent time with first responders on the front lines of the response and met those who lost loved ones in the horrific attack. Speaking to the Maine community, Mr Biden said, we “want to make sure you know you’re not alone.”
“This tragedy opens a painful wound across the country,” he continued. “Too many Americans have lost loved ones or have survived the trauma of gun violence.”
The visit comes after Maine Governor Janet Mills launched a probe into the missed chances to stop the shooting, after it emerged that police were warned multiple times about the gunman’s concerning and threatening behaviour prior to the massacre.
Authorities said Robert Card’s “concerned” family had alerted the local sheriff about his mental health – and that they were concerned he had access to firearms – in May this year. The Maine National Guard asked local police in September to check on the US Army reservist amid concerns he would “snap and commit a mass shooting”, according to CNN.
Newly-released court documents also revealed that the gunman who killed 18 and wounded 13 believed locals were spreading conspiracies calling him a “paedophile” at the bowling alley and the bar where he opened fire.
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“It is important to recognize that, from what we know thus far, on multiple occasions over the last ten months, concerns about Mr. Card’s mental health and his behavior were brought to the attention of his Army National Reserve Unit, as well as law enforcement agencies here in Maine and in New York. This raises crucial questions about actions taken and what more could have been done to prevent this tragedy from occurring,” the statement read.
She mentioned that Maine State Police are in the midst of conducting “a thorough and comprehensive criminal investigation of the shooting.”
She added: “I also believe that the gravity of this attack on our people – an attack that strikes at the core of who we are and the values we hold dear – demands a higher level of scrutiny.”
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Maine governor launches probe into shooter’s missed warning signs
Remembering the victims: Maxx Hathaway
Maxx Hathaway, 34, was killed in the mass shooting that took place in Lewiston.
Hathaway was described as “goofy” and “down-to-earth” by his sister, Kelsay Hathaway, in a GoFundMe description. She said her brother loved to joke around and was uplifting even in difficult times.
According to Kelsay, her brother was a full-time stay-at-home dad.
Hathaway is survived by his daughter and his wife, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden pay respects in Lewiston, Maine
The Bidens flew to Maine on Friday, where they spoke to first responders, nurses, victims’ families and survivors in the wake of the shooting that killed 18 and left 13 others injured.
Over the last week, since suspected shooter Robert Card was found dead, locals have made tributes in remembrance of those lost. The Bidens were seen on Friday paying respects to those who died in the tragedy.