Gideon Asen and Partners File Amended Complaint in Lewiston Mass Shooting Case After DoD Report

On behalf of more than 100 survivors and families of victims of the Lewiston mass shooting, Gideon Asen has filed an amended complaint against the United States following the release of a new report by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD IG).

The report, issued on September 9, 2025, confirmed that the U.S. Army repeatedly failed to follow its own mandatory procedures for reporting violent threats. In fact, the DoD IG’s audit revealed that in 2023 alone, the Army neglected to make required reports of violent threats nearly half the time.

For the first time, the Defense Department formally acknowledged that these failures increased the risk of violence to communities, including the Lewiston community devastated by the October 2023 shooting.

Acknowledgment of Army Failures

In the original lawsuit filed on September 3, 2025, attorneys Ben Gideon and Travis Brennan alleged that the Army violated its own rules and protocols in responding to the repeated threats made by Robert Card, the shooter.

The newly released DoD IG report supports those allegations. As Attorney Ben Gideon explained:

“One of the things we learn in this report, again for the very first time, is that the Department of Defense concluded that what happened here in Maine was a result of the Army’s failure to follow their own procedures. They concluded that its failure to follow the procedures increased the risk of violence in the community such as the mass shooting that happened here.”

Attorney Travis Brennan also on the case emphasized that simply having policies in place is not enough—they must be enforced.

“It’s a case where, unfortunately, these policies and procedures were disregarded or just not followed at all,” Brennan said. “What this report highlights is that the U.S. Army allowed an unstable, mentally ill service member who had made violent threats to go back out into the community without any warning, without any protections, and without any plan to keep our community safe.”

Amended Complaint Filed

In light of these findings, Gideon Asen, along with co-counsel, amended the lawsuit to incorporate the Inspector General’s report. The amended complaint highlights that:

• The Army’s violations of its own reporting and investigative procedures were not isolated incidents.
• The DoD IG concluded that the Army’s failures directly increased the risk of violence, ultimately leading to the Lewiston tragedy.
• Survivors and families feel further harmed by the official acknowledgment that these failures could, and should, have been prevented.

A Call for Accountability and Change

The families and survivors we represent are not only seeking justice for the unimaginable harm they suffered, but also meaningful change to prevent such tragedies in the future. Our hope is that this case compels the Army to ensure that its own policies are not just words on paper, but safeguards actively implemented to protect the public.

At Gideon Asen, we remain committed to fighting for accountability on behalf of those whose lives were forever altered in Lewiston.

Link to Official Amended Complaint

Read the full Lewiston Case Amended Complaint here