An altar to honor the victims of the Lewiston mass shooting was erected for an Oct. 29 vigil at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston. (Emma Davis/Maine Morning Star)
Flags will be flying at half-staff across Maine Saturday in remembrance of the victims of the October 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston.
Saturday marks two years since the state’s deadliest mass shooting at Just-In-Time Recreation and Schemengees Bar and Grille that killed 18 people and injured 13 others.
“Although nothing can lessen their loss, we grieve with the families of the victims and the survivors of the Lewiston tragedy so that no one feels alone,” said Gov. Janet Mills. “We open our hearts to those who were injured and to those who are still struggling with the aftermath of that night. And we offer unending gratitude to the people whose heroic actions saved lives and set us on the long and winding road to healing.”
There are several events planned in Lewiston to mark the anniversary.
On Friday, community members gathered on Longley Bridge, where many held homemade signs on posters that said, “We Remember.”
“By leaning on our collective love for Lewiston, we will build a safer, more connected, and resilient future,” said Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline in a statement.
On Saturday afternoon, the Yes on Question 2 campaign, which is backing a statewide ballot initiative to adopt a red flag law, is hosting an interfaith event at 3 p.m. at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Lewiston.
In addition to faith community leaders, Arthur Barnard, the father of Lewiston victim Artie Strout, and Joe Anderson, a doctor who worked in the emergency room the night of the shooting, will speak at the event.
In early September, survivors and victims’ family members filed a lawsuit against the United States for negligence in failing to respond to warning signs and an explicit threat to commit a mass shooting. The lawsuit points to many of the findings of state and Army investigations, which concluded multi-agency failures related to the handling of perpetrator Robert Card II’s deteriorating mental health in the months leading up to the shooting.
