LEWISTON, Maine — One year after 18 people were killed in the Lewiston mass shootings, more than 900 people gathered at the Colisee to remember those lost and support each other in grief.
"We are here to remember, to honor, to piece our precious lives back together in a different way than they used to be," Rev. Sarah Gillespie said in her remarks during the ceremony. "There are no instructions for this, except that we be gentle with one another and with ourselves."
The evening opened with a performance of "Amazing Grace," by the Maine State Police Pipe and Drum Unit. As the lights dimmed, hundreds of candles lit up the hockey arena. Twice the program paused for a moment of silence to remember the shooting a Just-In-Time Recreation and Schmengees Bar & Grille.
"We are here to share in those emotions, to help one another and to help us get through this date," Tom Caron, a Lewiston native sportscaster who emceed the event, said.
Liz Seal, who lost her husband Joshua, described the community she's found in the wake of the devastation of Oct. 25 of last year.
"We are all interconnected and these connections just like a spider web are beautiful," Seal signed. "These connections have formed a community that will forever be Lewiston strong, and I am proud to be a part of it. I love you all."
Marking a tragedy of this magnitude one year later brings with it a question that Shanna Cox of the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce asked: "What does moving forward look like? How, after such loss, can it even be possible?"
In the words of Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline,"The city is stronger than we were a year ago. We are a more close-knit community. Lewiston is a city that cares about each other and now more so than ever."