Maine is one of the 20 states that allows carrying concealed weapons in public without a permit
The suspect in the mass shooting that claimed 18 lives, including a 14-year-old in Lewiston, Maine, has been found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The 40-year-old Army Reserve sergeant Robert Card’s body was discovered in a Lisbon recycling facility he used to work for. Authorities say he has a history of mental illness and even received two weeks of inpatient psychiatric treatment this summer.
The recent incident is one of the 37 mass shootings that were the deadliest in the country in 2023.
Calls for stricter gun control measures amplify
Maine’s tragic event has sparked renewed calls for stricter gun control measures.
Politicians, including Vice-President Kamala Harris, criticized the state’s “yellow flag” law, implemented in 2019. Under it, a judge can take someone’s gun away temporarily if authorities consider that person to be a threat. The firearm can only be taken after an evaluation by a medical examiner. It is distinct from the stricter “red flag” legislation (enacted in 21 states) that doesn’t need a medical evaluation before taking away a firearm.
Harris and other gun control advocates urged Congress to enact universal background checks, implement a red flag law, and ban assault weapons.
Maine is one of the 20 states that allow citizens to carry concealed weapons in public without a permit. Despite previous attempts, efforts to tighten gun laws have faltered in the state, including a 2016 referendum on expanded background checks.