The BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com.
Friday marks the one year anniversary of the worst day we can remember in Maine. It does not take much to transport us back to Oct. 25, 2023 and the mass shooting in Lewiston. The heartbreak, fear and uncertainty of that horrific night — and the two-day manhunt that followed — are still easily summoned.
So too are the gratitude for the first responders and medical workers who stepped up to help in those tortured moments, the awe for heroic responses from victims, the appreciation for the beautiful lives they led, and the anger that 18 people were taken and 13 people injured after missed warning signs about the shooter.
This complex mix of emotions is to be expected. Time may soften the immediacy of these feelings for some of us, but it is unlikely to dull them completely. As important as it is for Maine to move forward together, we must also hold on to the memories of those taken from us, and maintain an inextinguishable reserve of outrage to do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again.
Today, we focus on mourning the victims, celebrating the way they lived, recognizing what has been taken from survivors and families, and recommitting ourselves to the ongoing and collective recovery.
Tricia Asselin, Billy Brackett, Peyton Brewer-Ross, Thomas Conrad, Michael Deslauriers, Maxx Hathaway, Bryan MacFarlane, Keith MacNeir, Ronald Morin, Joshua Seal, Arthur Strout, Bob Violette, Lucy Violette, Stephen Vozzella, Jason Walker, Joe Walker, Aaron Young, and Bill Young.
Their loved ones will never forget them. Maine will never forget them. We will never forget them.
Gov. Janet Mills directed that flags should be lowered statewide Friday in recognition of these shooting victims and survivors on the one year anniversary.
“As we mourn and pay tribute to the loved ones we lost one year ago, as we support those who were injured, and as we honor all those who have been affected by the Lewiston tragedy, we also remember our strength as a community, as a state, and as Maine people,” Mills said. “As we continue down the long and difficult road to recovery, let us remind ourselves that we are not alone, that we are ‘Lewiston Strong,’ and that we will continue to heal, together.”
That healing process was always going to happen at different speeds for different people, and that is OK. It is inspiring to see a survivor like Ben Dyer talk about moving forward and not giving up after being shot five times.
“I’m moving forward. If I let [shooter] Robert Card and what he did that night control me to this day, he’s still winning. The carnage that he wanted to create is still there. I’m not letting him. I’m not letting him hold me anymore,” Dyer told TV station WMTW.
And it is heartbreaking, and yet another inspiring call to action, to hear Elizabeth Seal talk about the ongoing push for justice and accountability in the name of her husband Joshua Seal, who was killed while playing cornhole that night.
“Once justice is served, I feel maybe we can start that process of healing, but in the meantime, we’re going to stay ‘Lewiston Strong,’” Elizabeth Seal said earlier this month, WGME reported, as a group of survivors and victims’ families prepare to launch legal action.
As the healing continues, we cannot be sure of everything. But we are sure that we will never forget those taken and those who survived that terrible night in Lewiston one year ago. We will always remember, not just how their lives ended, but how they lived with joy and purpose. How they taught others and cracked jokes. How they defied expectations and made the world a better place. Their lives were taken in tragedy but the love they put out into the world endures.
