Flags were lowered across the state on Friday to mark the occasion. People in Maine, whose sense of safety was shattered by last year’s mass shooting, planned to do many things, including a memorial service.
18 people were killed by an Army soldier in Lewiston. This made it clear that no place in the country is safe from gun violence, not even a state that likes to brag about having a low crime rate.
Most people were going to be at the city’s hockey rink, where there would be moments of silence at the time of the shootings.
Elizabeth Seal spoke through a sign language interpreter at an event last week with victims and survivors of the killings. She said that community has become an important part of the grieving process. Joshua Seal, Seal’s husband, was killed in the killings.
Seal told the translator, “Once justice is done, I think we can start the healing process.” “But for now, we’re going to stay ‘Lewiston Strong.'”
Seal and dozens of other survivors and family members of victims have recently started the official process of suing the U.S. Army for what they say was failing to do enough to stop Robert Card, a 40-year-old reservist.
At a bowling alley and a cornhole game put on by a bar and grill on October 25, 2023, people were shot. Card killed himself, and two days later, his body was found.
The shooting started at Just-In-Time Recreation, which is owned by Justin Juray. On Friday, the business will close for the day so that employees can spend time with their families. He said it had been a rough week because of the anniversary, and Friday would be especially rough.
He said, “We don’t need work to make them more stressed.” After six months, in May, Juray and his wife Samantha reopened the bowling hall. Eight people were killed there, including two employees.
The state’s head of victim services says that there were more than 130 people at the two locations. Besides the 18 people who were killed, 13 people were hurt by gunfire and 20 people were hurt by things other than guns.
People close to the shooter and other Army reservists said he was having a mental breakdown. After the shooting, the Maine Legislature passed new gun laws that strengthened the state’s “yellow flag” rule, made it illegal to give guns to people who aren’t supposed to have them, and increased funding for mental health crisis care.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said that people are still healing.
That as we go through the long and hard process of healing, let us remember that we are not alone, that we are “Lewiston Strong,” and that we will keep getting better together.