Investigation underway into potential brain injury in Maine gunman linked to Army Reserves

A tissue sample from the brain of Robert Card, the gunman responsible for killing 18 people and injuring 13 others in Maine, has been sent to a lab in Massachusetts to determine if there were any signs of injury or trauma related to his service in the Army Reserves. The state's chief medical examiner wants to understand if a brain injury from Card's military service contributed to his unusual behavior leading up to the shootings. Card's exposure to repeated blasts while training cadets at West Point is a concern. The Army is participating in studies to better understand the relationship between blast overpressure and brain health effects. Family members and friends reported that Card exhibited paranoid behavior and had been hospitalized for two weeks last summer.