Attorneys Travis Brennan, left, and Ben Gideon, who represent about 90 of the victims’ family members and survivors of the Oct. 25 Lewiston mass shooting, address the press Tuesday in front of Lewiston City Hall. Earlier in the day, the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston released its final report. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — With the Final Report of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston completed, attorneys for those whose lives were shattered by the Oct. 25, 2023, mass shooting say they’ll soon begin legal proceedings against authorities who might have been able to stop it.

“Now comes the time for accountability,” said Travis Brennan, who, along with partner Ben Gideon, represents about 90 family members and victims.

The seven-member commission’s report, issued Tuesday at City Hall, provided some new details about the monthslong mental breakdown that preceded Army reservist Robert Card’s shooting spree at two Lewiston entertainment venues that led to 18 deaths.

Daniel Wathen, chairman of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston, takes questions from reporters Tuesday at Lewiston City Hall after the commission released its final report. On the left, David Krueger translates into American Sign Language. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

But the revelations in the final report added only a little to a timeline of failure by military, police and medical authorities to deal with Card’s increasingly severe issues.

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said after the report’s release that it is “clear that there were multiple opportunities to stop Robert Card” before he opened fire at Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant.

Brennan said Card was “paranoid, delusional and suffering from a diagnosed psychosis,” yet authorities allowed him to continue to possess weapons that should have been taken from him.

Gideon said the military allowed him to return to civilian life last August with “no plan to deal” with the issues that clearly afflicted him.

Brennan said there were “massive failures” by officials who should have acted.

“The warning signs were there,” Brennan said. The mass shooting, he said, “could have, and should have, been prevented.”

Neither lawyer would detail their legal plans, but they did indicate they would be taking steps in the coming months.

Both said their clients are uniformly trying to deal with profound losses in the wake of “a life-changing event” for everyone who survived and the families of anyone involved.

Gideon and Sheline said they appreciated the work by the commission to gather the facts surrounding the event. “My heart goes out to the survivors and the families of the victims,” Sheline said.

Megan Vozzella, whose husband, Stephen, was slain, said that every day since has been a journey.

“There’s no way to just move on quickly,” she said, speaking in American Sign Language through an interpreter. “I’m still angry.”

Megan Vozzella addresses the media Tuesday in front of Lewiston City Hall after the release of the Final Report of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston. Vozzella’s husband, Stephen, was killed in the Oct. 25 mass shooting. Friend Richard Morlock, on far left, and attorneys Travis Brennan and Ben Gideon, right, listen in. Morlock is also a member of the Deaf community, and a survivor of the shootings at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Vozzella said there were “a lot of broken pieces” in her life in the wake of the attack. “It’s like walking through the shards,” she added.

Vozzella said she misses her 45-year-old husband’s humor, laughter and joy. “We only have memories of his life at this point,” she said.

Vozzella said her days include “a lot of crying” but she hopes that will pass. “I want to see peace,” she said.

Richard Morlock, who survived the shooting at Schemengees, said “There’s no quick fix to any of this.”

He said he lost several friends, including Stephen Vozzella, and often feels at a loss thinking about them. “Our love for them will never stop,” Morlock said.

But, he said, “it’s not all bleak. We do have some fun times.”

“We will always continue playing cornhole,” Vozzella said Tuesday.

Daniel Wathen, chairman of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston, takes questions from reporters Tuesday in Lewiston City Hall after the commission released its final report. On the left, David Krueger translates into American Sign Language. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal