Gunman Robert Card killed 18 people and injured 13 others in Lewiston, Maine on the night of October 25.
The attack had prompted a manhunt across the region as local, state, and federal law enforcement officials searched for the gunman. The hunt ended two days later when officials located Card and found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Sean Hodgson revealed to The Associated Press in his first interview, that he had warned officials of his former roommate and fellow U.S. Army reservist's heightening anger and paranoia. With Card refusing to seek help, Hodgeson did the only thing he could-- He sent a text about Robert Card and his state of mind at the time to their Army supervisor.
"I believe he's going to snap and do a mass shooting," he wrote on Sept. 15.
Six weeks later, Card fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston before turning the gun on himself.
"I wasn't in his head. I don't know exactly what went on," Hodgson told The Associated Press last week in an exclusive interview, his first since the Oct. 25 shootings. "But I do know I was right."
In May of 2023, Card's relatives warned police of his mounting paranoia, expressing their concern about his facile access to guns. The warning signs were there and they have been well documented. In July, Card was hospitalized in a psychiatric unit for two weeks after shoving a fellow reservist and locking himself in a motel room. In August, the Army had barred him from handling weapons while on duty and declared him nondeployable.
But by September, Hodgson raised the most obtrusive red flag, telling authorities to change the passcode to the gate at their Army Reserve training facilities and to arm themselves should Card show up.
"Please," he wrote. "I believe he's messed up in the head."
The Army Reserve responded to AP's questions about Hodgson's warning by releasing a statement that suggested not jumping to conclusions until its investigation and an independent examination by the Army inspector general are completed.
"Any speculation at this point without having all the details could affect the outcome of the investigation. More details may become available once the investigation is complete," Lt. Col. Addie Leonhardt, Army Reserve spokesperson, said in the statement.
What Did Card Do?
After a night out at a casino, Hodgson informed The Messenger, that Card began "flipping out," banging on the steering wheel and nearly crashed the car. As Hodgson pleaded with him to pull over, Card then punched him in the face. Hodgson asked Card to drop him off near his home.
"I love you, and I'll always be here for you no matter what," Hodgson told him.
However, authorities failed to take the warning signs seriously, raising more questions about whether the state's worst shooting could have been prevented. Hodgson went on to tell The Messenger, that he did what he could to raise the alarms about his friend, and is pushing back against the independent report for law enforcement that characterized him as "over the top" and "alarmist."
"I did my job, and I went over and beyond it, and I literally spelled it out for them," he concluded. "I don't know how clear I could have gotten."
