Gov. Janet Mills on Monday said she believes action should be taken to address gun violence in the wake of the mass shootings last week that claimed the lives of 18 people in Lewiston.

But she offered no specifics, saying she wants to wait until the police complete their investigation and to meet with a diverse group of lawmakers and others to consider solutions.

“As we begin to travel down the long and difficult road of recovery, make no mistake,” she said during a State House news conference. “The people of Maine deserve a serious and robust conversation about gun violence and public safety at the state and federal levels in the coming weeks.”

She said the group would include Democrats and Republicans, public safety and health officials, the judicial system, psychiatrists and “advocates on all sides” for a thoughtful discussion.

“I believe action is needed,” she said. “What that action will be must be the product of a broad discussion among a diverse group of voices.”

The update from Mills comes five days after a gunman killed 18 people in Lewiston, first at a bowling alley and then at a bar four miles away.

It’s the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. so far this year and the deadliest in Maine history.

Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, is accused in the massacre that also wounded 13. His body was found late Friday in a box trailer at a Lisbon recycling facility where he used to work. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Police have yet to cite a motive, although they did reveal that Card has a history of mental health problems, including threats to shoot up a military base in Saco and treatment at a military hospital this summer after reports that he was showing erratic behavior.

Reporters repeatedly pressed Mills Monday on whether police should have done more to prevent the attack after reports that a statewide bulletin had gone out in September warning them about Card.

“I trust the Maine State Police to undergo a thorough investigation of all aspects of the case,” she said.

While Mills awaits more information, Maine’s speaker of the House on Friday called for action when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) expressed support for the grieving families and law enforcement but ended her statement with a call to action.

“And finally, while nothing we can do in the state legislature can erase this tragedy, we must find a path forward to honor the lives lost and prevent this type of devastation from happening again,” she wrote Friday evening. “As Speaker of the Maine House, I urge all of my colleagues to look with new eyes on Maine’s lax gun laws. We can and we must have a serious conversation about needed policy reforms to address the disturbing violence that occurs with unregulated dangerous weapons.”

And on the other side of the aisle, Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) announced Monday that she has submitted a new bill to make it easier for mental healthcare facilities to open in Maine.

“We have a chronic, systemic shortage of mental healthcare in Maine,” she said in a statement. “We saw the effect of that shortage last week during the tragic events that took place in Lewiston.”

Her bill proposes to repeal a process known as “certificate of need” which requires new facilities to get approval from the state and competitors before they can open, according to Libby.

The massacre in Lewiston, which also injured 13 people, will undoubtedly be a major topic of discussion when the Legislature reconvenes for its short session, which typically ends in mid-April.

On Sunday, more than 1,000 people came to a Lewiston church to begin the grieving process. Schools are set to reopen on Tuesday, with extra support in place for students and staff.

Mills emphasized her support for the victims and their families and said she’s worked with federal officials to bring in extra help with mental health supports, school counselors, a federal victims’ compensation fund and aid for small businesses that closed during the stay-at-home orders.

Mills said she understands there are a lot of questions and that lawmakers are floating various ideas to tighten the state’s gun laws.

“There are a lot of ideas out there,” she said. “I’m not going to stand here today and tell you I’m proposing X, Y, Z. I’m here to listen and work with others, get people around the table as promptly as possible.”