Who is Ruby Card? Robert Card's mother wrote chilling letter to Maine lawmakers years before mass shooting
LEWISTON, MAINE: A chilling letter from Ruby Card, mother of Robert Card, the gunman behind the devastating mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, has come to light.
The letter, which was addressed to Maine lawmakers and obtained by The US Sun, expressed Ruby Card's concerns about the nation's safety and her strong opposition to lowering the voting age.
Ruby Card vehemently argued against lowering the voting age
Ruby Card, a senior citizen residing in Bowdoin, a town located just 15 miles from Lewiston, did not mince her words when it came to her stance on lowering the voting age. In the letter, she vehemently argued against the idea, stating, "16-year-olds are barely out of diapers."
She went on to say, "They have not completed their formal education, perfected skills that would fit them for employment, and lack the maturity to logically think through a problem and arrive at [a] fact-based solution."
According to Ruby, voting is a "right and duty" that should be exercised by knowledgeable individuals, and she firmly believed that teenagers lacked the maturity and experience necessary for this responsibility.
Drawing parallels, she pointed out that at 16, teenagers cannot sign up for the military or purchase alcohol and cigarettes.
Ruby took a strong stance against what she termed a "purely politically endangered piece of legislation that endangers our state and our nation."
She urged that any amendment to the Maine constitution should be subject to thorough consideration to avoid potential unintended consequences.
Robert Card attended the University of Maine as an engineering student
The emergence of Ruby Card's letter coincides with the devastating mass shooting that occurred in Lewiston, Maine. The suspect, Robert Card, is believed to be responsible for the killing of 18 people and the injury of 13 others in two separate locations in Lewiston.
Robert Card, a 40-year-old resident of Bowdoin, Maine, was found dead in Lisbon Falls, according to multiple law enforcement sources cited by CBS News.
He had fled in the aftermath of the shootings, leading to a massive manhunt that involved hundreds of state and local officers, as well as over 80 FBI agents. An arrest warrant had been issued for Card on multiple counts of murder.
Card, described as 5'11" tall and weighing 230 pounds, had a military background as a reservist.
Records indicated a history of mental health issues. Images of the suspect were widely shared by authorities, with the Lewiston Police Department posting photos on social media showing the gunman wielding a semiautomatic rifle during the Wednesday night shootings.
While Card had attended the University of Maine as an engineering student, it remains unclear whether he graduated from the institution, as reported by CBS Boston. His last known address was in Bowdoin.
Robert Card served as a petroleum supply specialist in Army
Card's affiliation with the US Army Reserve was a significant aspect of his background. An active military ID granted him access to military bases, as stated in a Maine law enforcement bulletin seen by CBS News.
Although initial reports indicated Card's role as a firearms instructor in the Army Reserve stationed in Saco, Maine, subsequent information clarified that this was not the case.
A US Army spokesperson revealed that Card enlisted in the reserves in December 2002 and served as a petroleum supply specialist.
He had not been deployed in combat but had received several awards for his service, including the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.