LEWISTON, Maine — An independent review of the Maine State Police’s after-action review (AAR) of their response to the Lewiston mass shooting and manhunt for the shooter was released on Thursday.
On the night of October 25, 2023, Army Reservist Robert Card killed 18 people and injured 13 others when he committed two mass shootings at Just-in-Time Recreation and Schemengees Bar and Grille in Lewiston. Card’s body was found in Lisbon Falls on Oct. 27, 2023.
Maine State Police were charged with the largest manhunt in the state’s history, coordinating with over 400 law enforcement officers, 16 tactical teams, and multiple federal agencies.
Within an hour of the shooting, Maine State Police had established a tactical command to organize information and give out assignments. But the review reveals there were still communication breakdowns within the police response.
It’s been described as “pure chaos,” when hundreds of law enforcement officers rushed to Lewiston on October 25th. Some of them responded with no assignment.
Maine State Police Commissioner Mike Sauschuck says in a mass shooting, self-deployment is inevitable. But it was a problem in the following 48 hours, when police launched a 300-square-mile manhunt for Card.
The report highlighted the difficult logistics of communication between multiple law enforcement agencies. It’s a problem that led to some work being done twice, including notifying families they had lost a loved one in the shooting.
The 33-page report highlighted six primary recommendations for change: increase active shooter training, develop investigative crime scene protocols, train officers on the Incident Command System, limit self-deployment, improve emergency communications for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or non-English speaking, and train on psychological first aid.
Maine State Police requested the New England State Police Administrators Compact (NESPAC) to conduct an independent review of the AAR. A colonel with the Vermont State Police led the investigation.
The NESPAC review found Maine State Police should incorporate active shooter training. However, Maine State Police say they already provide active shooter response training to every new law enforcement officer, but they recognize that more comprehensive advanced training is warranted in Maine specifically regarding the management of an active shooter event to include self-deployment related issues and concerns.
Some of the key findings from the review include developing crime scene protocols for major crime incidents, limiting self-deployment through training, training supervisors in identifying signs of psychological trauma in employees, and developing a mass casualty incident plan.
