So this guy spent 2 weeks in a psychiatric hospital, was turned away from a gun store when trying to purchase a suppressor because of that and the Army's evaluation was that he was behaving so erratically he could not handle ammunition or participate in live fire activity. Yet the
gun prohibition "common sense gun control" lobby thinks the solution is more restrictions that target responsible law-abiding gun owners?
US Army warned Maine suspect too 'erratic' to have gunThe Maine gunman was deemed by the US Army to be behaving too erratically to be allowed a weapon, three months before he fatally shot 18 people.
Robert Card, an army reservist, was evaluated in July and found to be "non-deployable due to concerns over his well-being", the Army said.
He then spent 14 days in a psychiatric hospital before being released.
The July evaluation meant Card could not handle ammunition or "participate in live fire activity", Army spokesperson Lt Col Ruth Castro said in a statement emailed on Monday evening.
She said the Army Reserve Command had made "multiple attempts" to contact the reservist.
On Monday, a CNN report based on unnamed sources said that the army had asked local police to check on Card over concerns he would "snap and commit a mass shooting".
Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said in a Monday evening statement that, on two occasions in September, a deputy could not find the reservist at his home in Bowdoin, prompting a state-wide alert.
He also said that his office was contacted in May by members of Card's family who were concerned over his mental health and access to weapons.
A deputy within his office then notified Card's Army Reserve training group.
Card was turned away by a gun store in one recent instance.
Maine firearms store owner Rick LaChapelle told the New York Times and ABC News that the 40-year-old suspect had entered his shop on 5 August to pick-up a silencer he had bought online.
He had to fill out a form, which included the question: "Have you ever been committed to a mental institution?"
Card answered yes, Mr LaChapelle said.
The staff looked at the form and told Card he was not eligible to purchase the silencer because of his answers on the questionnaire.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67263059
