Eighteen chairs, each holding a bouquet of white flowers, lined the stage of the Lewiston Colisee Friday night for an event to mark the first anniversary of the Lewiston mass shooting.
There were hugs and tears and moments of silence to mark the times on Oct. 25, 2023, that a gunman walked into the Just in Time bowling alley and killed eight people and then drove across town and killed ten others at Schemengees Bar and Grille.
Families and friends of the victims and survivors have spent the past year learning to navigate grief and trauma. But several speakers emphasized that the community's strength has been its unity and compassion.
Sports commentator and Lewiston native Tom Caron served as the event's emcee. He reminded the audience that the city of Lewiston was built on hope by people coming from around the world in search of a better life.
"That spirit of hope, that resiliency, the love and support has carried us through the past year, " Caron said. "And it will continue to carry us in the days ahead."
The Deaf community in Maine lost four people in the shooting last year. One of the victims, Josh Seal, was a well-known ASL interpreter. His wife, Liz, who is also deaf, spoke through an interpreter about the connections she has made since Josh's death.
"I wish it didn't take a tragedy for me to discover these connections," she said. "But I'm glad to have met and gotten to know all of the families of the victims, the survivors, the first responders and those who have supported us in many ways since then. These connections have formed a spider web of a beautiful community that will forever be Lewiston strong."
In May, the Just in Time bowling alley reopened and in the coming weeks, the building that formerly housed Schemengees Bar and Grill will reopen as an emergency warming shelter and food pantry. Shanna Cox, president of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, said Oct. 25 will always be about remembering but it is also about resilience and moving forward.
"Resilience is in the rebuilding of the trust that was broken, the acts of service and the determination to create a safer, stronger community for the future," Cox said.
Planning for a permanent memorial for the shooting victims is expected to begin soon. Cox said those who were most affected by the tragedy will be included in the process.
Officials and organizations from Maine and across the nation on Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Lewiston by honoring those lost and pledging continued support for people and communities still recovering from the tragedy.
Gov. Janet Mills called last Oct. 25 "one of darkest days of Maine history" in a video message posted on social media. Mills, who had previously ordered all state and U.S. to be flown at half-staff on Friday, said Mainers are paying tribute to the victims of Maine's worst mass shooting.
"We also remember our strength as a community, as a state, as Maine people," Mills said. "As we continue down the long and difficult road of recovery, let us remind ourselves that we are not alone, that we are 'Lewiston strong' and that we will continue to heal together."
The four members of Maine's congressional delegation — U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden — also issued a joint statement remembering the day "the unthinkable happened in Lewiston."
“We are thankful for the diligence and bravery that put an end to this nightmare and allowed our state to begin working through the agony and devastation," the delegation said. "But the seats at the kitchen table remain empty, with 18 Mainers absent from the lives of their friends and families. Others injured on that horrific day are still recovering from their wounds. As we continue to process the pain, we renew our commitment to helping one another, to remembering the victims and the lives forever changed that day, and to healing.”
The greater Lewiston/Auburn area was on lockdown for nearly two days last October after the man used an assault-style rifle to attack bowlers, cornhole players and people out for a drink or a meal on a Wednesday evening. The 40-year-old gunman, who was a skilled marksman and a longtime Army Reservist, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot would two days later in a nearby community.
In the year since, news reports and multiple investigations have revealed the numerous warning signs and missed opportunities by police, Army Reserve leaders and others to potentially avert the tragedy. The gunman had been suffering from paranoia and auditory hallucinations and had become increasingly aggressive in the months before the shooting.
Maine Senate President Troy Jackson of Allagash also recalled the "undeniable heroism" that happened that night as people rushed the gunman and were fatally shot, turned off the lights in the building to allow people to hide and first responders rushed to the chaotic scene.
“As we acknowledge this painful anniversary and pay tribute to the Mainers we lost, those who were injured and the many whose lives were forever changed, let’s take care to hold one another in our hearts," Jackson said in a statement. "It doesn’t matter which part of the state you call home, we remain Lewiston Strong.”
Maine House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross of Portland said she hoped the anniversary would be "a reminder of the love, support, and unity that surrounds" the families of victims, survivors and the community.
"The impact of this tragedy rippled across our entire state, reminding us of how closely connected we truly are," Talbot Ross said in a statement. "In the face of such sorrow, we witnessed the remarkable strength of the people of Maine. Neighbors supported one another, first responders acted with courage, and communities across Maine stood united in mourning and solidarity. It is this spirit of resilience that carries us forward, even as we continue to process the profound loss."
