Maine’s gun laws have fallen under scrutiny after a gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar Wednesday night, killing at least 18 people and injuring 60 more.
Critics are calling out the Pine Tree State for its lax regulation of firearms.
Maine does not require background checks for all gun purchases.
Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention organization, said the state’s laws effectively make “it easy for prohibited purchasers to access guns, no questions asked.”
Robert Card, the person of interest in the Lewiston rampage, legally purchased a sniper rifle with .308 caliber bullets, the weapons believed to have been used in the attack, this year, police said.
The revelations came as it was reported that Card, an Army Reservist firearms instructor, had allegedly been under psychiatric care in the months before the massacre.
Without any need for background checks, the seller of the rifle would not have been notified of Card’s mental health history.
Maine also does not have any Extreme Risk or “red flag” laws, which allow families or police to petition the court to temporarily prevent an individual from buying a gun on the grounds that they are a risk to themselves and others.
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Card’s family declined to comment on whether or not they tried to restrict his access to firearms at the time when he was committed for erratic behavior and allegedly “hearing voices” in his head.
Maine has neither banned high-capacity magazines, nor does it require domestic abusers to relinquish their firearms even if they are under a restraining order, according to Everytown.
The state also does not require a permit to carry concealed guns.
Everytown has ultimately ranked Maine at No. 25 among all states in terms of the need to strengthen gun laws, saying: “State leaders must do more to prevent gun violence.”
This year, the state notably shot down proposals to require background checks for private gun sales and to create a three-day waiting period for gun purchases.
The state’s inability to pass new gun reform laws has drawn the ire of many, including Maine native and famed author Stephen King, who slammed the lack of regulations following Wednesday’s massacre.
“The shootings occurred less than 50 miles from where I live,” King wrote on X. “It’s the rapid-fire killing machines, people. This is madness in the name of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder.”
