LISBON — Nearly 1,000 people gathered Saturday night at Worumbo Mill Park in Lisbon for a vigil to mourn the 18 lives lost in the Wednesday night shootings in Lewiston.
Lea Boisvert caught the attention of vigil holders and members of the news media with her sign bearing the names of those who had died. Arthur Strout, 42, was a close friend whose name she placed atop her list. Boisvert said she added the names as she learned them in the days following the shootings.
“This is who this should be about. We should know these names. These are the ones that matter. These are the people who didn’t ask for this. These folks just wanted to live. This was a husband and wife, and this was a father and son,” Boisvert said, pointing to Robert and Lucille Violette and Bill and Aaron Young. “The minute I knew there was a vigil, I knew this needed to be down here.”
When Friday’s press conference confirmed the location and death of gunman Robert Card, the vigil had to be held immediately, Lisbon resident Len Lednum said. Lednum is the president of nonprofit Positive Change Lisbon and helped organize the vigil.
Heather Bailey and her daughter, Ollie, 13, lean on each other Saturday during a candlelight vigil in Lisbon for the victims of Wednesday night’s mass shooting in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Lednum said that over the past few days, he had seen many people supporting one another via social media, much like during the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he knew the community needed to come together in a meaningful and physical way.
“It’s been insane and I think everybody needs this release. It feels weird to be here, I wish we weren’t, but all we can do is move forward,” Lednum said. “We’re a community, but we’re also a family and there are a lot of people who just need that family bond, they need to feel like, ‘Wow, somebody’s got my back.'”
Lednum introduced the vigil’s only speaker, Jon Jones, the pastor at Lisbon Falls Baptist Church. In his short address, Jones spoke of faith, community and healing. Many in the crowd joined in as members of his congregation closed his address by singing “Amazing Grace.”
Devin Wagner of Lisbon helps her son, Mason, 2, light his candle Saturday at a vigil Saturday in Lisbon for the victims of Wednesday’s mass shootings in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Devin Wagner and her son, Mason, 2, of Lisbon were holding candles at the vigil Saturday. Devin Wagner said she did not know anyone who had been killed or injured in the shootings, but the tragedy affected everyone. At 2 years old, Mason could not understand why he had to stay inside, other than there was “a bad man hurting people.”
“Yesterday, he was looking for his Spider-Man costume,” Devin said. “He was like: ‘Mom, where’s my mask? I want to go fight the bad guy.'”
Devin Wagner said her aunt had a friend at Schemengees Bar & Grille, one of the scenes of Wednesday’s shootings, who was able to get away as the gunman was reloading. A friend of a close friend, however, was not so fortunate, she said.
“It’s really affected all of us,” Wagner said.
Added Lewiston resident Rose Dulac: “My granddaughter’s coach got shot twice. He’s still in the hospital. I don’t know really much more than that.”
Dulac said her nephew, who is in his 20s, was at Just-In-Time Recreation during the shooting. He knew the gunman, Card, but not well, she said.
“My nephew pretty much lives (at Just-In-Time),” she said. “He’s a really good bowler. I think he’s doing OK, according to his dad. But he was pretty frightened. It’s awful. It’s awful.”
Ashley Jones of Lisbon is surrounded by her daughters Saturday evening at a vigil in Lisbon for the victims of Wednesday night’s mass shooting in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
The Boy Scouts of America had several troops from Lewiston, Lisbon, Auburn and beyond at the vigil. Ed Poulin, the leader of Lewiston’s Girl Scout Troop 2019, said one of his groups was bowling Tuesday night at Just-In-Time Recreation. The evening was picked at random, he said.
Leia Turcotte, a scout in Troop 2019, said her father was supposed to be at Schemengees Bar & Grille on Wednesday night, but instead attended her brother’s soccer game. She said she knew some of the people from the deaf community who were there that night.
Lednum said the vigil Saturday evening was about community and the healing that needs to take place. He said that when he returned to the front of the lot at Worumbo Mill Park to make sure nobody needed help, he was not surprised that only about a dozen candles were left in a box that had earlier contained 1,000.
“Unfortunately, it’s tragic circumstances that bring us here, but anybody out there that thinks they’re going to defeat us, this spirit, this unity?” Lednum said. “It’s not going to happen, and we’re showing that tonight.”
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