Grieving community begins healing process after Maine shooter found dead

Authorities released new details about the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on Saturday, the morning after the suspect was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Mike Sauschuck of Maine's Department of Public Safety said the suspect was found dead in a trailer near Maine Recycling Corporation in Lisbon. The location was cleared twice before the body was found, according to authorities.

"We may never know, and certainly will never comprehend, why he committed these horrific acts against our neighbors and friends, or why he chose to end his life where he did. We do know that our employees, along with the rest of our community, are shaken to the core. We ask that media please do them the courtesy of allowing them privacy to grieve this heinous act." said Maine Recycling Corporation

Officials also mentioned they found a note with the tone was that the individual was not going to be around, though he stopped short of calling it an explicit suicide note.

Saushuck said they are looking into reports that there might be a mental health element to the motive, but said they don’t have any access to forcibly committed treatment. This is noteworthy because a person voluntarily seeking treatment would not be flagged during a background check when purchasing firearms under current Maine law.

“Just because there appears to be a mental health nexus to this scenario, the vast vast vast majority of people with mental health diagnosis will not hurt anybody," Saushuck added.

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988, call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741 anytime.

According to authorities, they received 821 tips and leads and the digital tip line ultimately, was at 197 leads. Saushuck also said the suspect's family was very cooperative with authorities and said the investigation would have been detrimental if they did not come forward.

He also laid out details of what investigators expect to be the next steps.

Two support centers are also now open in the community. A Family Assistance Center will be opened for the foreseeable future for people who were injured or present at the Lewiston Armory at 65 Central Ave. It was described as a one stop shop for victims and the people that support them so they don't have to go to different agencies to receive help.

A second center open to anyone in the community seeking help processing the trauma, whether they were present at the shooting locations or not, has opened at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston.

For the community, hearing that the shooter was found dead is a relief to many, but it doesn’t necessarily bring solace or closure for the families who have lost their loved ones

City officials are telling people now is the time to come together and grieve. 

The end of the manhunt also doesn’t answer questions about a motive, but it does mean that the people of Maine can now go about their days without looking over their shoulders.

“Everyone's been on pins and needles I know everyone I know when they found out this is Maine a lot of people have guns they got their guns locked their doors and prayed for the best,” said Lewiston city councilor Robert McCarthy.

Several communities spent about 48 hours under a shelter-in-place order, leaving the streets empty, businesses closed and schools shuttered. People were forced to face the fear of an active shooter on the loose in the solitude of their own homes.

Now that the suspect is no longer a threat, the community can come together and process the traumatic shootings that took 18 lives and injured more than a dozen others.

Multiple vigils were planned for this weekend to honor the lives lost. The first was held Saturday evening at the Worumbo Waterfall in Lisbon, where candles were glowing under a moonlit sky as several hundred grieved together.

“Just want to support my family. That’s how Maine is. It’s one big family," a woman attending the vigil said.

It's a family that came together for a candlelit vigil to start the long healing process -- some leaving their homes for the first time in days.

"It’s been just a horrific last two-three days for everybody,” another woman said. “Terrifying. Been locked in our homes and not been able to get out and visit with family and be with them. It’s just been very scary.”

As names of the fallen were read aloud Saturday night, many locals were thinking of their own personal ties to those affected by the mass shootings.

Retired teacher Greg Quinlan said one of his former students is in the hospital with four gunshot wounds, fighting for his life.

Police Chief Ryan McGee said it's been a flow of emotions.

"We went from it was game time and we needed to find him and every resource and we didn’t stop. Nobody wanted to go home,” McGee said of the manhunt for the shooter.

Now, Mainers are breathing a collective sigh of relief, though it's tinged with sadness.

“There’s people sitting on their porches. There’s people walking their dogs. People are giving me thumbs up. They’re waving,” McGee said.

There's no timetable set for healing, but the community will stand together.

Thousands, including Maine Gov. Janet Mills, are expected to attend another vigil Sunday night at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston.

“Now's the time and our whole city is lighting up. Right now, there's candles, there's Christmas lights, there's porch lights. I'm sorry-- the city of Lewiston is lighting up for the city of Lewiston. We are one community, and we care very deeply about each other. I'm just relieved that this part is over," Lewiston City Councilor Linda Scott said.

So while there is some sense of relief in Lewiston, families still have a lot of unanswered questions, including around what the man wrote in the note he left behind before taking 18 lives, and then his own.

President Joe Biden issued a statement on the "tragic two days" for Maine and the nation, crediting the hard-working law enforcement officers for their work, thanking Mills for her leadership and remembering the "at least eighteen souls brutally slain."

"Tonight we’re grateful that Lewiston and surrounding communities are safe after spending excruciating days hiding in their homes," Biden said in a statement.

He also called on congressional Republicans to take action — most Democrats support adding some restrictions on guns, such as the assault-style rifle used in the Lewiston shooting — and said, "Americans should not have to live like this."

Many other politicians shared statements as news of the gunman's death came in.

"Tonight, Mainers can breathe a collective sigh of relief thanks to the brave first responders who worked night and day to find this killer," Republican Sen. Susan Collins said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. She thanked Mills "for her steadfast leadership," and the health care workers, city officials and the people of Maine "who came together in the wake of this attack."

"To the families who lost loved ones and to those injured by this attack, I know that no words can diminish the shock, pain, and justifiable anger you feel. It is my hope that you will find solace and strength in knowing that you are in the hearts of people throughout Maine and across the nation."

The state's other senator, independent Angus King, said in a post on X that he joined his neighbors and friends "in a communal sense of relief. We are grateful to law enforcement and first responders, for fifty hours of nonstop dedication and determination that brought us this relief. It will take a long, long time to process this pain, but Maine people have grit, resolve and heart and we will come together through this difficult grieving period and hope for brighter, calmer days."

Democratic Congressman Jared Golden, who made national headlines this week when he reversed course and said he is now in favor of an assault weapons ban in the wake of Wednesday's shooting, said in a statement on X that "the people of Lewiston and the surrounding communities can feel safe that this threat has ended."

"I know that we will all continue to pray for and care for the families who have lost loved ones, for the wounded, and for the survivors who experienced this terrible shooting. This is a time for mourning the loss of life and to honor the memory of each one of these members of our greater community."

Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree also posted on X, thanking the many law enforcement personnel, medical professionals, local leaders, journalists and residents "for their tireless work this week and in the days to come."

"We will hold the Mainers lost forever in our hearts as we begin to try to heal and, importantly, work to put an end to the uniquely American gun violence epidemic," she added. "Please, stay safe and stay #MaineStrong."