Overview

• Roughly 100 survivors and families filed a negligence lawsuit in federal court in Maine against the Defense Department, the U.S. Army and Keller Army Community Hospital.
• Plaintiffs allege officials knew of Robert Card’s mental decline and threats yet failed to enable seizure of his firearms or share critical information with local authorities.
• Lawyers say Card spent 19 days in a New York psychiatric facility in July 2023 and was reportedly to have his weapons taken but kept them, including the AR-10 used in the attack.
• Maine’s independent commission found deputies had probable cause to invoke the state’s yellow flag law and that the Army Reserve withheld key details, while an Army review admitted unit lapses such as skipping a required line-of-duty investigation.
• The Justice and Defense departments did not immediately comment, and the case is led by a coalition of firms that point to the Sutherland Springs ruling as a potential legal guide.