Four deaf friends, a bar manager and teen bowler: The Maine shooting victims
A bar manager, four deaf friends and a teenage bowler were among the 18 victims who were formally identified by police on Friday.
The ages of those caught up in the violence ranged from 14 to 76 years old. Some who died reportedly put themselves in the line of fire to protect others.
Just before 7pm, a gunman entered the popular, family-friendly establishment and opened fire on the innocent victims inside. Seven people including one female and six males died in the attack at the bowling alley, before the gunman moved onto his second target – the Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant.
Late on Friday evening the body of 40-year-old Robert Card, the man sought in connection with the killings, was found.
Officials said that the US Army Reserve and certified firearms instructor had recently made threats to carry out a shooting at a National Guard facility and had reported mental health issues, including hearing voices.
Here is a list of the victims as identified by police:
Aaron and Bill Young
The 14-old boy who had gone to the Just-In-Time Recreation alley with his father for an evening with their bowling league on Wednesday night, Bill’s brother Rob Young told Reuters. For hours, Aaron and Bill’s family did not know what had happened to their loved ones.
Rob told Reuters that he learned his brother and nephew were missing in the wake of the shooting so he jumped on a place from Baltimore to Lewiston to try to help his sister-in-law find them.
Bill’s cousin Kim McConville told NBC News that the family had tracked his cellphone and found it located at the bowling alley where the first shooting took place.
“It’s total chaos,” she told the network prior to learning of their deaths.
“People aren’t getting any of the information they need. You know, it’s there. They’re not getting anything new. They’re not telling them any more than we’re getting off a news conference.”
The search ended tragically on Thursday afternoon when the family learned that both the father and son were killed in the attack.
Ms McConville said that they were just “innocent people” enjoying a night together at the bowling alley.
“Just innocent people out for a night of bowling,” she said. “This was a children’s event. You know, who expects a shooter to go into a children’s event? But you know, this is a crazy world that we live in today.”
Joseph Walker
The father of a bar manager in Lewiston identified his son as one of the 18 victims who died in Wednesday’s shooting in Maine.
Leroy Walker, a city council member in Auburn, Maine, told NBC News that state police had confirmed his son Joseph Walker had been killed when a gunman opened fire at two locations in Lewiston, including Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, where he was the bar manager.
It took over 14 hours for Mr Walker to be notified about his son, and he said his family was “suffering and dying in a nightmare we don’t understand.”
“None of us slept, we were up all night,” he said. “We didn’t know where to go, who to run to. They didn’t notify any of us.”
Joseph Walker’s wife Tracey posted a plea on Facebook for answers about her husband after she hadn’t heard from him following the shooting.
“Please pray, I haven’t heard anything about my husband Joseph Walker he was at Schemengee’s,” she wrote.
Earlier on Thursday, the bar manager’s devastated father told NBC that he knew his son was dead.
“If you had my gut right now, I feel like I’m squashed with a vice,” Mr Walker said at the time. “My neck in the back of my head feels like there’s a vice squashing it the other way.”
“And I don’t know, telling you the truth, what kind of night this is going to be from now until tomorrow when I wake up to the true facts that my son is dead -- and I know he’s dead. I know it as well as I know I’m standing here telling you because he’s not here and he’s not at any other hospital and he’s not running the streets or he would have called us, because he manages Schemengees, so I know he was there.”
Bob and Lucy Violette
Bob Violette, a 76-year-old retired Sears mechanic and avid bowler, was identified by his daughter-in-law Cassandra as one of the victims, she told the Portland Press Herald.
Mr Violette, who was a native of Lewiston and ran a youth bowling league, was reportedly killed trying to protect the kids he was responsible for on Wednesday night.
Both he and his wife Lucy were keen bowlers, having started the youth bowling league at Sparetime Recreation, for which Mr Violette was recently inducted into the Maine Bowling Hall of Fame.
“He wouldn’t let you walk out the door without giving him a hug, and a kiss on the check. He was just there for everything,” Cassandra said.
She said he had a special bond with his grandkids and was a doting husband to his wife Lucy, who was injured in the shooting. However, her condition is unknown.
“His first thought every day was her,” Cassandra added.
Lucy Violette was later confirmed to have also died following the shooting, during Friday’s press conference.
Bryan McFarlane
Mr MacFarlane was confirmed death by his sister. Mr McFarlane was one of the participants in a deaf cornhole tournament that was happening in Schemengees bar when the second shooting incident occurred.
His sister told CNN that Mr McFarlane usually went to the bar on Wednesdays for a weekly cornhole sessions and to hang out with his friends.
He was one of the first people in the state of Maine to get his commercial trucking license. He worked as a truck driver, loved riding his motorcycle and playing with his dog, his sister said.
Mr McFarlane’s stepmother, Catherine Dunn, also told CNN she was also concerned about his dog.
“He takes his dog everywhere,” she said. “I don’t know if his dog is in his truck at Schemengees’ bar, still. Or if he’s at his house, or if he’s still alive.”
Tricia Asselin
According to CNN, 53-year-old Ms Asselin worked part time at Just-In-Time Recreation and was there bowling Wednesday night when the gunman came in and opened fire.”
Her brother DJ Johnson told the outlet: “What I’m told is that when it all started happening, she ran up to the counter and started to call 911, and that’s when she was shot.
“That was just her. She wasn’t going to run (away). She was going to try and help.”
Mr Johnson said that his sister was “the rock” of his family. He added that his other sister was also at the bowling alley but was able to escape.
Ms Asselin’s sister Bobbi Lynn-Nichols told People magazine “We were just running, and I kept saying: ‘I want my sister out of there’. And she called 911 and put herself in his way by trying to get help. She’s a hero. My sister is a hero.”
Tommy Conrad
Tommy Conrad, 34, worked as a manager at the bowling alley where the first shooting took place.
His father Timothy Conrad confirmed that he was killed in the attack to ABC News. Mr Conrad leaves behind a nine-year-old daughter.
Peyton Brewer Ross
The Maine AFL-CIO – a state federation of over 160 local labor unions – announced that one of its members, Peyton Brewer Ross was among those killed.
Mr Ross was a new father and “loved by his community” the federation wrote on X, sharing a picture of Mr Ross smiling and holding a young child. Mr Ross was a member of the Machinists Local S6 union.
Joshua Seal
A well-known American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, Mr Seal worked for the Pine Tree Society and was hosting a community event for members of the deaf community in Schemengees Bar in Lewiston when the shooting unfolded.
His wife Elizabeth confirmed his death in a post on Facebook.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share with you all that Joshua Seal has passed away… no, he was murdered, in the 10/25 shooting in Lewiston. It still feels surreal…
“For those of you who knew him, first and foremost, he was the world’s BEST father to our four pups. He was always there for them, lending an eye or a hand and going to their sporting/extracurricular activities.
“He always loved spending time with them, traveling, going for a day trip to the beach, or going camping for the weekend. Not only was he an amazing father, he was a wonderful husband, my best friend, and my soulmate.
“He was also a wonderful boss, an incredible interpreter, a great friend, a loving son, brother, uncle, and grandson. He loved his family and always put them first. That is what he will always be remembered for. We love and miss you so so much already, Joshua Alfred Seal. Forever & Always, No Matter What…”
Michael Deslauriers and Jason Walker
Two friends Michael Deslauriers and Jason Walker died saving their family members from the gunfire and then charging at the shooter, it has been revealed.
Deslauriers’ father Michael Deslauriers Sr said that his son and Mr Walker were at the bowling alley on Wednesday night when the shooting began.
In a heartbreaking post on the Sabattus Historical Society’s Facebook page, Mr Deslauriers described how the two men leaped into action to try to save others and stop the killings.
“This is Michael Deslauriers Sr and I have the hardest news for a father to ever have to share,” he wrote.
“My son Michael Deslauriers II and his dearest friend Jason Walker were murdered last night at the bowling alley. They made sure their wives and several young children were under cover then they charged the shooter.”
Ron Morin
Ron Morin’s family paid tribute to him in a Facebook post, writing: “Rest in Paradise, Ronnie. “This smile and your energy will forever be loved and missed.”
Morin’s relative Cecile Francoeur Martin told the Bangor Daily News that he was an “upbeat guy”.
“He was just always smiling, happy,” she said.
“Just one of those people that if you are having a bad day, he was going to make your day better just by his presence.”
Rosa Storer, a stylist at Taboo Hair Design in Lewiston where he had his hair cut for 25 years, called him “an upstanding man with a lot of joy in his heart”.
“He had the best jokes,” she added.
Arthur Strout
Arthur Strout, a 42-year-old father-of-five, was killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille after telling his father he was going to stay for a couple more games.
Arthur Barnard told WCVB that he had been at the bar with his son that night and had left just 10 minutes before the shooting began.
“I left 10 minutes before this happened. He was supposed to leave with me and he decided he wanted to stay for a couple more games,” he said.
He added: “People loved him. They just loved him.”
Bill Brackett
Bill Brackett was also attending the community event for deaf people at Schemengees Bar & Grill on Wednesday night.
His father William Brackett told ABC News that the group was playing cornhole when the gunman targeted the second location.
Brackett’s friend Nick Perry paid tribute to him on Facebook, writing: “I’ll never forget the laughs I had you in when I was trying to learn some sign language at cornhole.”
Steven Vozzella
Steven Vozzella, 45, was also part of the gathering of deaf people playing cornohole at Schemengees bar that night.
His brother Nick Vozzella confirmed to ABC News that he was killed in the shooting. A tribute was paid to Mr Vozella was paid by the National Association of Letter Carriers, which said it was “heartbroken” by the news of his death.
A statement from NALC President Brian L Renfroe’s read: “Brother Vozzella was only 45 years old. He had much more life to live before it was stolen from him in an all-too-common senseless act of gun violence. Stephen was out enjoying a game of cornhole with friends on Wednesday evening.
“On behalf of NALC, I send my deepest sympathies to Brother Vozzella’s family, friends and colleagues. We mourn the loss of Stephen and all the innocent victims of this tragedy. Our hearts are with Stephen’s loved ones, all of those affected and the entire town of Lewiston.
Mr Renfroe added: “Any life lost to gun violence is one too many. The members of NALC and all Americans deserve to feel safe while on the job, spending time with their families and friends, and in their everyday lives.
“The epidemic of gun violence in this country must end. It is time for lawmakers to take action to protect Americans from the horrific incidents of gun violence that continue to traumatize communities and cause tragic loss of life across the country.”
The NALC is a union representing city delivery letter carriers employed by the US Postal Service.
Maxx Hathaway and Keith Macneir
Both Mr Hathaway and Mr Macneir, 35 and 64 respectively, were also named by police during Friday’s press conference.
A minute of silence was held after the names of all the victims were read out.
