LEWISTON, Maine — Hundreds of community members, survivors, and victims' family members came together Thursday night to commemorate the six-month anniversary of the Lewiston mass shooting.
The event was held at Simard-Payne Memorial Park to remember the 18 lives lost at the hands of a lone gunman.
"It’s a heartbreaker all the time," Leroy Walker told NEWS CENTER Maine.
His son Joey Walker was shot and killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille Restaurant while trying to stop the gunman.
"It’s just like it happened yesterday to us," Walker said.
The event Thursday included moments of silence when the shootings took place. Brief, powerful remarks were made by staff from the Maine Resiliency Center, which hosted the event.
"It's nice to have the outer portion of the community that wasn’t directly impacted to be there for us," Tammy Asselin, who survived the shootings along with her young daughter, said. "Sometimes we can feel forgotten."
Many wore blue to show their support for Lewiston.