Former Army Reservist’s Brain Sent for Examination After Shooting Spree in Maine
A violent shooting spree in Lewiston, Maine last month has left the community in shock and searching for answers. Robert Card, a 40-year-old Army Reservist, went on a rampage that resulted in the deaths of eighteen people. Following his death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, his family and fellow soldiers revealed that he had suffered from delusions, paranoia, and potential violence. Despite their warnings to the police about his state of mind, their concerns had been unaddressed for months.
As the investigation into the cause of Mr. Card’s actions continues, authorities are exploring the possibility that his mental state may have been affected by his time in the Army. The state medical examiner has sent a part of Mr. Card’s brain to a laboratory for analysis, specifically looking for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.), a condition associated with repeated head trauma. Army investigators have also begun inquiring about potential links between Mr. Card’s years of service and his troubling behavior.
While the Army has remained tight-lipped about Mr. Card’s time in uniform, soldiers who worked with him disclosed that he was exposed to thousands of blast waves due to his work as an instructor at an Army hand grenade training range. Mr. Card, who worked with a variety of weapons, reportedly spent a notable amount of time in the grenade pits.
One senior member of his platoon, who requested to remain anonymous due to the Army’s directive not to speak to the media, stated that the concussion from the grenade explosions was “brutal” and that some soldiers experienced hearing issues, headaches, and vertigo as a result. Despite the potential dangers, Mr. Card and other instructors were not tested for signs of blast injuries as troops typically are after returning from war zones.
The findings from an investigation by The New York Times indicate that the military’s understanding of the impact of repeated blast exposure and its resulting injuries has been evolving only in recent years. The Defense Department has been putting in measures to track and study the impact of these injuries, responding to growing evidence of the harm from such exposures.
The Army’s minimal response in the past to warnings of blast-related symptoms is cited, despite investigations indicating that the sound waves generated by the grenades in the pits were cause for concern. Commenting on the conditions on these ranges, Gary Kamimori, a retired Army researcher, stated that sound waves from blasts were powerful enough to cause physical vibrations, potentially leading to major head injuries.
Mr. Card’s tragic actions, along with the underlying links between his service and his mental state, underscore the pressing need for further understanding of these issues. While the investigation carries on, many questions about Mr. Card’s motivations and behaviors remain unanswered. However, the possibility of identifying C.T.E. in his brain tissue could provide a significant indication of the potential impact of his time in the Army.