Gov. Janet Mills issued an executive order on Thursday establishing an independent fact-finding commission to investigate the Lewiston shooting.
The seven-member commission will be chaired by Daniel Wathen, the former chief justice of the Maine Supreme Court. The other members have backgrounds in legal and investigative matters, as well as in mental health. They include a former U.S. attorney, a former assistant U.S. attorney and two other judges.
The commission's stated task is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the event, including evidence of any prior knowledge and concerns regarding the mental wellbeing of the shooter who killed 18 people in Lewiston on Oct. 25.
Funding for the investigation will be provided by the office of Maine’s attorney general. In a letter addressed to the commission, Mills underlined the importance of identifying “the complete facts and circumstances — including any failures or omissions.”
