Robert Card's sister-in-law, Katie O'Neill, told CNN that the incident was "an acute episode" and said he did not have an extensive history of mental health issues. "This is not who he is. He is not someone who has had mental health issues for his lifetime or anything like that," she said. Speaking to The Daily Beast, she echoed these sentiments, saying, "He is quiet but the most loving, hardworking, and kind person that I know. But in the past year, he had an acute episode of mental health, and it's been a struggle." O'Neill added, "He truly believed he was hearing people say things. This all just happened within the last few months."
According to Clifford Steeves, Card was a "rational, understanding person." "He was a very nice guy — very quiet," Steeves told CNN. "He never overused his authority or was mean or rude to other soldiers. It's really upsetting." Another person who served with Card told CNN he was a "nice guy" who "never had an issue with anybody."
