2023-10-27 15:01:49
– A tragedy predicted
As the hunt for the Lewiston shooter continued Friday, it became apparent that the perpetrator’s mental health problems were well known.
Published today at 5:01 p.m
Police and other authorities across the state of Maine are frantically searching for the man who shot 18 people. The 40-year-old was admitted to a psychiatric clinic in the summer.
Foto: CJ Gunther (Keystone, EPA)
Two days after the bloody rampage in the quiet town of Lewiston, police continued to feverishly search for the perpetrator across the state of Maine on Friday. She has combed through several properties in the area belonging to the 40-year-old local’s relatives, so far in vain. Schools in southern Maine remained closed on Friday and residents were asked to stay at home.
The 40-year-old man shot around in a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston on Wednesday evening, killing 18 people and injuring 13. It was the bloodiest rampage in more than a year – since the 22 deaths in Uvalde, Texas in May 2022.
In the most recent case, investigators quickly found evidence that it was likely a tragedy that had been announced. The suspected shooter served in the army reserves for decades. He has not been involved in combat missions, at least in the past 20 years, but rather worked in the fuel depot.
Admitted to a psychiatric clinic in the summer
His commanders noticed him during a week of training in the summer: he made threats against his own unit, according to American media reports. The bosses admitted him to a psychiatric clinic, where the man received inpatient therapy for two weeks.
Investigators are now reconstructing what has happened since the alarming episode in the summer. So far they have found no evidence that the shooter illegally acquired or owned the murder weapon, a hunting rifle; according to a neighbor, he regularly went deer hunting.
As a result, a discussion about gun rights in Maine has already begun. The police there have no legal authority to confiscate the rifles of dangerous people as a precautionary measure. Numerous other states have introduced such regulations, known as “red flag laws.”
Nevertheless, the almost 1.4 million residents in the manageable small state in the northeastern tip of New England believed themselves to be safe. Now that tragedy has reached them, political certainties are beginning to falter.
Politician changes opinion on gun rights
Congressman Jared Golden, for example, publicly changed his mind on gun rights. He was one of only five Democrats to vote against a ban on assault rifles last year. Now he will work for it, Golden promised at a media conference on Thursday. US President Joe Biden has also called for tighter gun laws; The current year promises to break a sad record with 566 shootings so far.
But others seem to shrug off the tragedy, such as the new speaker of the House of Representatives, the evangelical Republican Mike Johnson. “The problem is the human heart, not the guns,” he said in his first interview on Thursday, with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. In the middle of a crisis, it is not appropriate to debate gun rights, Johnson said. In his position, he can prevent the House of Representatives from even dealing with the issue. More tragedies are on the horizon.
Fabian Fellmann has been writing about political issues for more than 20 years. Since summer 2021, the political scientist has been reporting as a USA correspondent from Washington, DC. Before that, he worked as a Brussels and Bundeshaus correspondent for various newspaper editorial teams. More information@fabian_fellmann
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