One year ago today, a shooter killed 18 people and wounded another 13 at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston. Investigations, internal reviews and independent reporting revealed authorities missed many opportunities to intervene and perhaps prevent the tragedy that unfolded on Oct. 25, 2023.
In the minutes, hours and days after the shooting, hundreds of Mainers were called into action to do things they were trained to do — or not. These are the stories of three of those who were called to serve.
Tom Giberti was working at the bowling alley the night of the shooting and helped as many as a dozen children escape before seven bullets pierced his legs. He’s been hailed as a hero, though he won’t call himself one. A year later, he detailed his recovery and how he’s put the shooting behind him. “I wouldn’t wish this on anybody, not even my worst enemy.”
While some questions about the shooting remain unanswered, few have faced sanctions for the lapses and failures investigators uncovered. The community, friends and families are left to pick up the pieces and make sense of the shooting and remember the 18 who lost their lives a year ago.
Some of the victims and their relatives have since become gun control advocates, while others oppose gun restrictions more now than they did before the shooting. Interviews with more than a dozen political figures, gun dealers and owners, and those who have survived gun violence in Lewiston show a state struggling to define its relationship with guns. | 