SACO, Maine — New video shines a light on what police knew about Robert Card over a month before he carried out the deadliest mass shooting in Maine's history.
Card killed 18 people and injured 13 others at Just-In-Time bowling alley and Schemengee's Bar & Grill on Oct. 25.
The video obtained by NEWS CENTER Maine shows Saco police going to the National Guard facility in search of card on Sept. 16, the day after an alert went out to police statewide warning Card was "armed and dangerous" and "made threats to shoot up the National Guard armory."
Card was scheduled to be at "drill" that morning, but never showed up.
"He did say that he would shoot places, but never specifically mentioned here and never specifically mentioned any specific," Captain Jeremy Reamer told officers in the video.
Reamer, who was the commander of Card's unit, said he spoke to him the day before, but downplayed the reported concerns. This despite the fact Card was hospitalized at a mental health facility in New York over the summer while at a training.
"I mean, I have he does he does have mental health issues," Reamer said. "You know, I'd say probably schizophrenia. It's a lot of a lot of things about being a pedophile and nobody saying a word about it."
Later that day, Reamer spoke by phone to deputies in Sagadahoc County who tried to get in contact with Card at his house in Bowdoin.
Dashcam video showing Sgt. Aaron Skolfield of the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office at the end of Card's driveway revealed the details of that call and the genuine concerns of officers.
"Obviously, we're very concerned over this," Skolfield told Reamer.
He said he and another deputy went to the trailer home where they heard card and saw his vehicle, but they were not able to talk to him out of fear for their safety.
"He's alive. He won't answer the door. And there's no good way to approach the trailer without being in a line of sight through the curtains," Skolfield said on the call.
The sergeant even directly asked Reamer about Card's access to guns, including those provided by the army.
"All of his weapons from the National Guard have been accounted for. Right? So he doesn't have anything at the house?" Skolfield asked.
After a long pause, Reamer appeared to be confused about exactly what steps were taken, if any, to prevent his access to guns.
"I know there was no real court order to take his weapons or anything like that," Reamer told Skolfield. "He's refusing any real medical treatment. I mean, we got him as much as we could, but, you know, you can lead a horse to water, but if he's not going to drink it, then there's not much we can really do."
As the call continues, Skolfield even directly references Maine's so-called "Yellow Flag Law." He also shares his reservations out of fear of escalating the situation.
"There's a process that we're to go through to seize their weapons, if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others. So that, you know, that obviously is a hurdle we have to deal with. But at the same time, we don't want to throw a stick of dynamite into a pool of gas either and make things worse."
Less than an hour later, dashcam video shows Skolfield at Card's father's home in Bowdoin, in the hopes of talking to Card's brother, Ryan. According to police reports, Ryan had been in touch with deputies about his concerns for his brother and said he would take Card's guns away.
"We want to make sure we got Robert's gun," Skolfield is heard saying after Card's father, Robert Card Sr., opens the door.
Card Sr. tells Skolfield he does not know about what was done with the weapons despite seeming concerned about the situation.
"We want to make sure Robert doesn't do anything foolish," Skolfield told him.
Just over five weeks later, Card carried out his attack.
An independent investigation that examined much of the recordings obtained by NEWS CENTER Maine claimed Sagadahoc County deputies "acted reasonably" despite failing to make direct contact with Card.
The Army has now launched an investigation of its own after pleas from victims' families and Maine's congressional delegation.