The tragic mass shooting in Maine last year, which claimed 18 lives and left dozens injured, is still leaving many wondering what happened.
New revelations suggest that the perpetrator, Army Reservist Robert Card, likely suffered from a traumatic brain injury, shedding light on potential factors contributing to his devastating actions, the New York Post reports.
Analysis of Card’s brain tissue revealed significant degeneration and injury consistent with traumatic brain injury, according to findings released by his family in collaboration with the Boston University Concussion Legacy Foundation. Dr. Ann McKee noted that while Card’s brain showed no signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the observed damage aligns with the effects of blast injuries, which Card endured during his tenure as a hand grenade instructor in the Army.
“In the white matter, the nerve fibers that allow for communication between different areas of the brain, there was significant degeneration, axonal and myelin loss, inflammation, and small blood vessel injury,” Dr. McKee wrote in the statement.
“While I cannot say with certainty that these pathological findings underlie Mr. Card’s behavioral changes in the last 10 months of life, based on our previous work, brain injury likely played a role in his symptoms,” she concluded.
The discovery raises huge questions about mental health and military service, particularly regarding the long-term consequences of repeated exposure to low-level blasts, which the consequences of are not particularly well studied. Card’s family expressed profound sorrow for the victims and their loved ones, emphasizing their desire to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
As Card’s brain continues to be studied, Army personnel are slated to testify before a state commission investigating the shooting. The incident, deemed the deadliest in Maine’s history, underscores the urgent need for greater awareness of traumatic brain injuries among military personnel and enhanced support for those affected.
The state of Maine is holding a hearing on this today and Army officials will attend. They will probably get questions about Robert card’s brain that they can’t answer. In a very broad sense, when it comes to blast exposure, the army doesn’t know what the risks are. https://t.co/nVNRyJNAOY
— David Philipps (@David_Philipps) March 7, 2024
The release of these findings serves as a somber reminder of the lasting impact of traumatic events and the imperative to address underlying factors contributing to such tragedies. By confronting the complexities of mental health and military service, there is hope for progress and prevention moving forward.
