Connect with us

Northeast

Army, sheriff's office blamed for missing warning signs of Maine mass shooter Robert Card: report

Published

on

Army, sheriff's office blamed for missing warning signs of Maine mass shooter Robert Card: report

The Army Reserve and Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) share blame for not noticing problematic behavior from Maine mass shooter Robert Card. That is the conclusion of the final report by an independent commission to investigate the facts of the tragedy in Lewiston obtained by Fox News on Tuesday. 

The independent commission, which held more than a dozen public meetings, heard from scores of witnesses and reviewed thousands of pages of evidence, cited shortcomings by police for failing to take the gunman’s weapons and by the Army Reserve for failing to provide proper care for 40-year-old Card.

The commission, created by Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, announced its conclusions at Lewiston City Hall, less than 3 miles from the two sites where the shootings took place on Oct. 25, 2023. Eighteen people were killed and 13 others were wounded.

“The commission unanimously found that there were several opportunities that, if taken, might have changed the course of these tragic events,” independent commission chair Dan Wathen said at a press conference. 

MAINE SENS. COLLINS, KING REACT TO MASS SHOOTING SUSPECT FOUND DEAD: ‘COLLECTIVE SIGH OF RELIEF’

Advertisement

Members of the independent commission investigating the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, listen as Nicole Herling, below left, sister of shooter Robert Card, testifies Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

“The leaders of his Army Reserve unit failed to exercise their authority over him and to undertake necessary steps to reduce the threat he posed to the public,” Wathen continued. “Card’s commanding officer knew of his auditory hallucinations and increasingly aggressive behavior. Collection of guns. Ominous comments about his intentions. Despite their knowledge, they ignored the strong recommendation of Card’s mental health providers to stay engaged with his care and take steps to remove weapons from his home.”

Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the U.S. Army Reserve Command conducted their own probe, which also revealed leadership failures.

“The Army Reserve’s investigation found errors made by unit leadership, and recommended appropriate administrative action be taken against three officers in Card’s chain of command for dereliction of duty,” the statement reads. “This action has already been completed. Additionally, the Army Reserve’s investigation also recommended updates to standard operating procedures, retraining, and policies to better handle the complexities of behavior health care for our USAR soldiers.”

Dubee said the Army Reserve is “deeply saddened” by what happened, and “is instituting policy changes to its Psychological Health Program and is communicating changes and lessons learned to Pre-Command Courses and Army Reserve Senior Leader Orientation.” and working to make “sound changes to prevent tragedies like this from recurring.”

Advertisement

MAINE MASS SHOOTING SUSPECT ROBERT CARD FOUND DEAD WITH APPARENT SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND

In this image taken from New York State Police body camera video that was obtained by WMTW-TV 8 in Portland, Maine, New York State Police interview Army reservist Robert Card, the man responsible for Maine’s deadliest mass shooting, at Camp Smith, in Cortlandt, N.Y., on July 16, 2023. (WMTW-TV 8/New York State Police via AP, File)

The commission also believes that in September 2023, SCSO had “had sufficient probable cause to take Card into protective custody under Maine’s yellow flag law and to initiate a petition to confiscate any firearms he possessed or over which he had control.”

The commission’s report recommends the Maine State Police conduct a full, after-action review by an independent entity with policing expertise that could make professional recommendations about policy, protocol and other policing improvements.  

Card was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound near a dumpster at a recycling plant in Libson Falls, Maine, where he once worked, on Oct. 27.

Advertisement

ELITE BORDER UNIT JOINS MANHUNT FOR MAINE MASS SHOOTING SUSPECT ROBERT CARD

Police respond to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Maine’s legislature passed new gun laws for the state, which has a tradition of hunting and firearms ownership, after the shootings. A three-day waiting period for gun purchases went into effect this month.

Ben Gideon, a lawyer for survivors and relatives of those who died, described the shooting as a dangerous intersection of gun ownership and mental illness.

MAINE SHOOTING: ROBERT CARD’S NOTE TO LOVED ONES AND FINAL MOVEMENTS REVEALED

Advertisement

Rain-soaked memorials for those who died in a mass shooting sit along the roadside by Schemengees Bar & Grille, on Oct. 30, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Lindsay Marlow, facing camera, hugs Courtney Majoros, on Oct. 28, 2023, at a vigil in Lisbon Falls, Maine, for the victims of recent mass shootings. Majoros’ brother, Max Hathaway, was one of the people killed in separate shootings in nearby Lewiston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

“At the end of the day, what happened here was a pairing of someone who was known to be paranoid, delusional and suffering from a diagnosed psychosis with someone who owned numerous weapons of warfare, including six semiautomatic assault weapons,” he told reporters.

SCSO did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. 

Advertisement

FOX News’ Kitty Le Claire, Adam Sabes and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

New York

In First Campaign Ad, Schlossberg Leans on a Well-Known Name: Pelosi

Published

on

In First Campaign Ad, Schlossberg Leans on a Well-Known Name: Pelosi

Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of John F. Kennedy, has built his campaign for a New York City House seat around turning the page on the Democrats’ old guard.

Yet when he debuts his first paid advertisement on Wednesday, the 33-year-old candidate has chosen his party’s oldest living leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, to do the talking.

The choice reflects the unique challenge Mr. Schlossberg faces ahead of a marquee June primary against more seasoned rivals. He may have star power and youth, but he is still trying to persuade aging voters who form the Democratic base that he is serious and experienced enough to represent a storied Manhattan district — home to corporate chieftains, media empires and cultural meccas.

The 30-second ad, which was shared first with The New York Times, uses Ms. Pelosi, a former House speaker, to make his case. In it, the congresswoman, 86, speaks directly to the camera to say that Mr. Schlossberg has “a deep sense of duty” and the kind of energy that could help propel Democrats back to power nationally.

“This moment calls for leaders who understand the stakes and how to deliver for the people they serve,” she says, sometimes over clips of him campaigning. “Jack Schlossberg is that kind of leader.”

Advertisement

Mr. Schlossberg is among the first candidates in New York’s 12th District to start spending on paid media. But a handful of super PACs funded by competing A.I. companies and former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg have already burned through millions of dollars trying to sway voters toward or away from his rivals.

Mr. Schlossberg’s outlay will be relatively modest in comparison. The campaign said it would initially spend $70,000 on digital platforms, and eventually add more digital spending and $250,000 in broadcast TV time — a relatively small sum in the nation’s most expensive media market.

Mr. Schlossberg, who has reported inherited assets between $10 million and $32 million, said he would not be spending any of his own money in the race. He does not have a super PAC behind him.

While there has been no real public polling to date, private polls released by several of Mr. Schlossberg’s rivals have all narrowly put him in the lead.

With two months left until Primary Day, two state assemblymen — Alex Bores and Micah Lasher — are not far behind; followed by George Conway, a former Republican turned high-profile antagonist of President Trump, and Nina Schwalbe, a public health expert. Because the seat is safely Democratic, the primary winner will almost certainly win the general election to replace Representative Jerrold Nadler, who is retiring.

Advertisement

Mr. Schlossberg, earlier known for a head-turning social media presence, has largely tried to portray his opponents as old-fashioned, risk-averse establishment figures who have not been able to check Mr. Trump. They, in turn, have raised doubts about the thinness of his résumé, which includes no long-term traditional work experience, elected or otherwise.

In an interview, Mr. Schlossberg said it was an obvious choice to turn to Ms. Pelosi, who is perhaps her party’s most respected elder stateswoman.

“Speaker Pelosi is the backbone of our party,” he said. “She most importantly understands better than anyone how the House of Representatives works and what the Democratic Party needs right now.”

Yet embracing Ms. Pelosi may also have its costs, complicating Mr. Schlossberg’s attempts to position himself as an outsider and a fresh face by reminding voters of his family’s deep ties to the Democratic establishment.

Mr. Schlossberg said he believes he first met Ms. Pelosi when he was in high school. Alongside his family, he presented her with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2019.

Advertisement

The candidate said Ms. Pelosi asked to meet with him in her Washington office before she endorsed his campaign in February.

“I printed out all my plans I have for the district and the country,” he said. “She read them over and quizzed me.”

An earlier version of the ad shared with The Times included footage of Mr. Schlossberg and Ms. Pelosi spending time with his mother, the former ambassador Caroline Kennedy, and his niece, the daughter of his sister Tatiana Schlossberg. (Ms. Schlossberg, who was an environmental journalist, died in December after a fight with blood cancer that she chronicled in a widely read essay.) That footage was cut from the final ad before it was distributed.

In the interview, Mr. Schlossberg said he exempted Ms. Pelosi from his critique of this party’s aging officials — and argued voters would, too.

“I put her in a category of her own,” he said. “She has magic that doesn’t age. It wins.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Boston, MA

Fancy Hats Can Be Cool

Published

on

Fancy Hats Can Be Cool


News

Ellie Ayati-Jian and Jaine Davies, two Greater Boston milliners, are raising the brim—and the bar.


Advertisement

Pretty in pink, blue, and yellow and festooned with ribbon, feathers, and a bold flower, this fascinator was created by Ellie Jian Millinery. / Photo by Steph Larsen / Styling by Abby Brenc for Anchor Artists

At spring events like the Kentucky Derby and Boston’s own “hat luncheon,” the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s annual Party in the Park, hats have long shaped the conversation—an expected flourish of brim and bloom marking the start of the season. In recent years, however, the role of the hat has evolved, from celebratory flourish to considered craft.

Leading that charge locally is Ellie Jian Millinery, the Newton studio founded by Ellie Ayati-Jian. Trained in architecture and interior design, Ayati-Jian brings a structural sensibility to her work, approaching millinery less as ornament and more as wearable design. Her hats—ranging from floral fascinators to structured couture pieces—are engineered with intention, balancing form, proportion, and comfort. “What drew me in was the energy and sense of community around derby events,” Ayati-Jian says. “They bring together fashion, tradition, and celebration in a very social way.” That social element remains central to her work: She’s a familiar presence at Boston events, often modeling her own designs to show how even bold headpieces can feel approachable.

Round blue hatbox with a matching lid beside it, adorned with a decorative pink mesh bow and a cluster of dark blue fabric flowers on top, set against a light purple background.

This Ellie Jian Millinery pink fascinator is anchored by deep blue handmade flower. / Photo by Steph Larsen / Styling by Abby Brenc for Anchor Artists

Ayati-Jian’s creative process begins not with sketching, but with research—architecture, art, fashion history, or a client’s personal story—until a concept emerges. She often spends days gathering visual references before touching a single material, allowing a narrative to emerge before form takes shape. From there, she shapes and refines her hats by hand.

Advertisement

Ayati-Jian says toppers incorporating clean shapes, softer brims, and sculptural forms are now trending—which, given the city’s fashion predilections, is a big advantage. “Boston style is generally more conservative, and I think that works beautifully with this direction,” she says. “Bostonians appreciate quality, craftsmanship, and timeless design.”

Green fascinator hat featuring large, sculpted fabric loops and a prominent peacock feather with additional thin black feathers extending outward. The hat is displayed on a beige mannequin head against a white background.

The “Monaco” by IndigoHats is made of silk with a peacock feather. / Photo courtesy of Jaine Davies/IndigoHats

She’s not the only one taking advantage of the recent hat craze. Raised in England near a major horse race, Jaine Davies, whose millinery studio, IndigoHats, is based on the South Shore, grew up immersed in a culture where hats signaled occasion. Her ideas often begin in a small notebook she carries everywhere, filled with details spotted at museum exhibitions and in historical garments. “Couture runway shows are really important to study,” says Davies, who observes the season’s designer dresses closely, translating their colors, embroidery, and silhouettes into hats ready for her studio. She handblocks each piece on traditional wooden forms and sews every hat by hand, pairing time-honored techniques with an adventurous use of materials. Alongside classic straws, Davies works with Dupioni silks, richly patterned textiles, beadwork, and meticulously crafted feather flowers designed to be as light as they are dramatic.

For Davies, drama and discipline go hand in hand. “I want to wow from a distance and impress close up with how well made they are,” she says. Indeed, her hats accomplish exactly that.

Small magenta fascinator hat featuring a large fabric rose, delicate netting veil, and decorative curled feathers.

The shop’s “Aster” is a pillbox style with quills and sophisticated veiling. / Photo courtesy of Jaine Davies/IndigoHats

Advertisement

This article was first published in the print edition of the April 2026 issue, with the headline,“Head First.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Pittsburg, PA

Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Don Toliver and more Pittsburgh concerts in May

Published

on

Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Don Toliver and more Pittsburgh concerts in May






Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending