Finished it last night.
As I’ve tried to record for other mass shootings, I believe the victims should be seen as more than simply names connected to another atrocity. According to WMTW and The Associated Press, the identified victims in the Lewiston, Maine, mass shooting include:
Ronald G. Morin, 55, described as an upbeat, happy person who was always full of jokes and loved his family, was among the eight men killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille. He was employed by Coca Cola and prided himself on never missing a day of work. His obituary notes that his wife, children, and dog Remy were his entire world.
Peyton Brewer Ross, 40, worked as a pipefitter and loved cornhole, wrestling, comic book heroes, and helping others. From his brother: “He was a character. He just made people laugh. It was the way he was able to tell stories. You could hear the story, it could be 100 times, but each time he told it there was something else that you could pull out of it.”
Joshua A. Seal, 36, was among several members of the deaf and hard of hearing community in Lewiston who regularly went to Schemengees Bar & Grille to play cornhole. On Wednesday, he was participating in a cornhole tournament for the deaf, along with Steve Vozzella, Bryan MacFarlane, and Billy Brackett, who were also killed. He leaves behind a wife and four children. He was the Director of Interpreting Services at Pine Tree Society in Scarborough and a Certified Deaf Interpreter. He interpreted for several press conferences, including the Covid pandemic briefings. He loved to travel and enjoyed outdoor sports.
Bryan M. MacFarlane, 41, was playing in the cornhole tournament for the deaf when he was killed. A commercial truck driver who grew up in Maine, he moved back to the state to be closer to his mother. His sister described him as an outdoorsy man who loved camping, fishing, and riding his motorcycle. He also loved spending time with deaf friends and with his dog, M&M, who was named after his favorite candy and regularly joined him on the road.
Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57, a manager at Schemengees Bar and Grille, died at the scene of the shooting. According to police, Walker’s last moments were heroic as he tried to stop the gunman with a butcher knife to protect others. He was shot to death in the attempt.
Arthur Fred Strout, 42, was playing pool at Schemengees Bar and Grill with his father. They’d planned to leave together, but Arthur stayed behind when his father left. A friend said he was a generous person with an infectious, silly laugh. Described by his wife as a Christmas person who would start decorating at Halloween, he leaves behind a blended family of five children.
Maxx A. Hathaway, 35, spent Wednesday night playing pool at Schemengees Bar & Grille with his pregnant wife Brenda. By the time the shooter burst into the restaurant, Hathaway was there alone. His sister described him as “a goofy, down to earth person” who “loved to joke around and always had an uplifting attitude no matter what was going on.” When they were young, he was always willing to play dolls with their younger sister. His third child is due in about a month.
Stephen M. Vozzella, 45, was playing in Schemengees Bar & Grille’s cornhole tournament for the deaf when he was killed. An active member of the New England Deaf Cornhole community, he’d won several victories in the sport. He was the father of two and a letter carrier for the USPS.
Thomas Ryan Conrad, 34, was the manager of the bowling alley and tried with several other men to take down the shooter when he entered the building. An Army veteran, his service included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He returned to Maine to be closer to his daughter, and friends say he died a hero, rushing the shooter to protect the children in the bowling alley.
Michael R. Desiauriers II, 51, was also killed at the bowling alley while trying to stop the gunman. His ex-wife, who’d known him since elementary school, described him as “an amazing man. An amazing father. An amazing provider.” Michael’s girlfriend, who was with him at the bowling alley, told her that Michael had tried to fight back and urged his girlfriend to hide behind the ball rack before he lunged at the attacker.
Jason Adam Walker, 51, another man killed at the bowling alley while helping Desiauriers take down the gunman after they ensured their families were under cover and safe. He enjoyed vegetable gardening, creating educational YouTube videos, preserving seed and harvest, making homemade sausage with his best friend Michael Deslauriers and baking sourdough bread. He leaves behind a wife and two sons.
Tricia C. Asselin, 53, an accomplished athlete, a mother, and a volunteer, was bowling with her sister at Just-In-Time Recreation, where she worked. A friend described her as “the type of person who would have done anything for children and anybody. If she liked you, she made you feel like you were in her inner circle.”
William A. Young, 44, described as a man who was dedicated to his family and always trying to be “a funny guy,” was with his son at the bowling alley for Youth League Night when he was killed.
Aaron Young, 14, son of Bill Young, was an avid bowler killed with his father on Youth League Night.
Robert E. Violette, 76, a dedicated volunteer coach for a youth bowling league, was killed at Just-in-Time while trying to save the lives of those around him. He was described as always having a smile and always willing to coach both kids and adults with bowling tips.
Lucille M. Violette, 73, wife of Bob Violette, was killed at the bowling alley with her husband. She was an employee of Lewiston Public Schools, dedicated to her position as a secretary in the business office for 52 years. A favorite story she told was of proposing to Bob after they met because she didn’t want to take a chance of losing him. She became a mother of three sons and a grandmother of six.
William Frank Brackett, 48, was killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille while playing in the cornhole tournament alongside Joshua Seal, Steve Vozzella, and Bryan MacFarlane. Described as a shy, kind guy and a natural-born athlete with a passion for all sports, he leaves behind a wife and young daughter.
Keith D. Macneir, 64, killed at Schemengees, was a Floridian who traveled to Maine to spend his 64th birthday with his son. A friend described him as “the friendliest and kindest guy in any room, whose loss will leave a huge hole in the lives of many, many people.”
Thursday shouldn’t have been stressful, but it was, so between all the other things I did, I colored a page from Creative Haven’s “Enchanted” coloring book. On a whim, I decided to make the unicorn gold. Then I found out “Gold” is today’s Photo Friday theme. Believe in your own magic, indeed.
