In a tragic turn of events, a newly released police record reveals that an Army reservist had warned authorities about a fellow soldier who went on to commit a deadly mass shooting in Maine. The staff sergeant, identified as "Hodgson," had reached out to fellow reservist Kevin Mote, who also serves as a police corporal, expressing concerns about the gunman's erratic behavior and potential for violence.

The text messages exchanged between Hodgson and Mote, which were made public on Wednesday, shed light on the grave worry that was expressed a month before the harrowing incident. "And yes he still has all of his weapons," Hodgson messaged Mote in mid-September. "I believe he's going to snap and do a mass shooting."

Tragically, Hodgson's premonition proved to be prophetic as the gunman took the lives of 18 innocent people last week Wednesday. The shooting rampage occurred at a bowling alley and a bar and grill in Lewiston, leaving a community devastated and mourning.

In his messages, Hodgson described the killer as a friend and highlighted his deteriorating mental health. "I believe he's messed up in the head," Hodgson confessed. "I love [him] to death but I do not know how to help him, and he refuses to get help or to continue help."

Concerns about the future killer's mental state had been raised earlier when he claimed to hear imaginary voices calling him a pedophile. A memo written by Mote, accompanying the released records, revealed instances of the gunman's aggression towards his fellow reservists during a training stint at West Point in July. The soldier became confrontational, shoving one of his peers and locking himself in his hotel room, prompting intervention from the military.

After the incident, the future gunman was transported to Four Winds Psychiatric Hospital in Katonah, New York, where he spent 14 days before being released, according to Mote's memo.

Further alarming details emerged from Hodgson's statement to the police, indicating that the future killer had threatened to "shoot up the drill center and Saco and other places," potentially targeting the U.S. Army Reserve Training Center in Saco, Maine.

Attempts to intervene and ensure public safety were made by Mote and his superiors, who requested that the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office check on the future gunman, as he resided within their jurisdiction. The memo stressed that caution should be exercised, given the reservist's marksmanship skills and previous threats.

The failure to heed the warnings conveyed by Hodgson and Mote raises questions about the effectiveness of the system in place to address mental health concerns within the military and prevent catastrophic events. As the investigation into the mass shooting continues, it is imperative that authorities thoroughly evaluate and address any shortcomings in identifying potential threats.

Communities across Maine are left grappling with the devastating consequences of this tragic event. The lives lost serve as a stark reminder of the urgency to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals with deteriorating mental health.