A U.S. Army reservist, Sean Hodgson, who warned of an impending mass shooting by his best friend and fellow reservist Robert Card, is set to answer questions from the commission investigating the tragedy in Maine. Six weeks before Card killed 18 people at a bar and bowling alley in Lewiston, Hodgson had warned their supervisors to change the gate passcode at their Army Reserve training facility and arm themselves if Card showed up, believing he was going to snap and commit a mass shooting. Relatives had previously raised concerns to police about Card’s paranoid behavior and access to guns. Despite being hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital and being barred from having weapons by the Army, authorities failed to prevent the shooting.
An interim report by an independent commission concluded that the Sagadahoc County sheriff’s office had probable cause under Maine’s “yellow flag” law to detain Card and seize his guns, but failed to do so. The commission criticized police for not following up with Hodgson after his warning text. Hodgson is expected to be questioned by the commission and has previously expressed concern about Card’s mental health after witnessing disturbing behavior, including an incident where Card punched him in the face. Although some officials downplayed Hodgson’s warning, citing concerns about his credibility, Hodgson maintains that he was sober and awake due to his work schedule when he sent the text.
In a series of interviews, Hodgson revealed that he met Card in the Army Reserve in 2006 and the two became close friends after both went through divorces around the same time. They lived together briefly in 2022, and Hodgson helped transport Card back to Maine after he was hospitalized in New York in July. Growing increasingly worried about Card’s mental state, Hodgson alerted authorities after an incident where Card became volatile and aggressive while driving. Despite his concerns, some officials dismissed Hodgson’s warning, questioning his credibility and suggesting he might have been drunk when he sent the text.
The failure of authorities to prevent the mass shooting in Maine has sparked a months-long investigation into the tragedy, with new gun safety laws being passed in the state since the incident. Card was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days after the shooting, highlighting the tragic consequences of untreated mental health issues and access to firearms. Hodgson’s testimony before the commission is expected to shed light on the events leading up to the shooting and the missed opportunities to intervene and potentially prevent the tragedy. The commission aims to hold accountable those responsible for the lack of action in response to the warning signs exhibited by Card, emphasizing the importance of addressing mental health concerns and ensuring firearm safety to prevent similar incidents in the future.
