Survivors of Maine Shooting Sue Army for Negligence

A lawsuit against the U.S. Army is being filed today by survivors and victims' families of the Lewiston mass shooting.

Lewiston, Maine, Mass Shooting Killed 18, Wounded 13

It was one of the country's deadliest, with 18 people killed and 13 wounded in two separate locations.

Army Reservist Robert Card walked into the Just in Time Recreation bowling alley and opened fire on an Autumn night when children were among the bowlers. Miraculously, only one child was killed in the attack.

He then repeated the action at Schemengee's Bar and Grill, where a group of people with hearing impairments was caught by surprise.

Lewiston, Maine, Mass Shooter Showed Signs of Distress Before the Tragedy

Card would go on to take his own life in a trailer, ending the killing spree, and leaving victims and their families wondering how anyone could have done such a thing.

An investigation was launched, and the Maine State Police shared documentation on an online website.

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That investigation would reveal Robert Card's troubling past, including brain damage from the grenade and firearms training he conducted, and concern among his military peers and family members that he was becoming increasingly unstable.

Lewiston, Maine, Shooting Survivors and Victims' Families Sue the U.S. Army

The lawsuit filed on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, alleges that the U.S. Army should have responded to Robert Card's deteriorating mental state and intervened. It questions why he was allowed to have firearms despite his allegedly paranoid beliefs and claims of hearing voices.

The 102 plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court are seeking unspecified monetary damages.

According to WMTW-TV, the lawsuit comes 10 months after a legal notice was served by the group stating that they would sue if the U.S. government didn't respond, take action, or deny the claims.