Maine Community Comes Together for Spiritual Solace Following Record-Breaking Mass Shooting Incident

On Sunday, the tolling of church bells resonated through Maine as community members assembled at various services, a mix of somber reflection and occasional jubilance, to find solace and unity after experiencing an unprecedented tragedy. A local resident, identified as Robert Card, had earlier gone on a shooting spree, claiming 18 lives in the most devastating mass murder the state has ever witnessed.

The service at Lewiston’s Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul commenced with a moment of quietude, led by the Rev. Daniel Greenleaf. He acknowledged the relief in being able to congregate in prayer following days of enforced isolation as law enforcement personnel scoured the area for the 40-year-old assailant.

Robert Card’s body was located on Friday in a trailer at a recycling facility in Lisbon Falls. Authorities confirmed that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot, although the timing remains undetermined. Card is also believed to be responsible for wounding 13 other individuals during the Wednesday night shooting rampage in Lewiston.

In the expansive basilica, several women were spotted wearing black veils. Church representatives indicated that efforts were underway to raise financial support for those impacted by the devastating events that had engulfed their otherwise peaceful community.

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In his sermon, Rev. Greenleaf expressed that the challenging times were the very moments for which their faith had been cultivated. “We, as humans, may not be able to mend this tragedy, but we are not mere machines in need of repair,” he stated.

Similarly, at the Lisbon Falls Baptist Church, what started as a buoyant atmosphere sobered when Rev. Brian Ganong invoked the recent massacre. His prayers extended to surviving victims, grieving families, emergency service providers, healthcare personnel, and even the family of Robert Card, who, he noted, had connections with some church attendees.

“It’s a reality we have to face. The reason behind it might forever elude us,” Ganong mused, urging the gathering to seek spiritual comfort.

After attending early Mass at the basilica, Marcel Roy, a 70-year-old resident of Lewiston, said he felt encouraged by the community’s burgeoning healing process. He was personally acquainted with four of the victims and expressed that he could not bring himself to despise the shooter, asserting, “He wasn’t raised to be a killer.”

Jim Ferguson, Special Agent overseeing the Boston office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, stated that multiple legally-acquired firearms were retrieved during the manhunt for Card. However, Ferguson refrained from disclosing specific details regarding the weapons.

Investigative agencies have been focusing on the mental health history of Card, revealing that he had been experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoia. Family members confirmed to federal authorities that Card had recently become increasingly preoccupied with a bowling alley and bar.

As life cautiously resumes in the city of Lewiston, home to 37,000 residents, many took the opportunity to mourn, reflect, and make tentative steps toward a semblance of normalcy. Among them, William Brackett, whose son was a victim, expressed relief upon learning of Card’s death.

The tragic event is not only unprecedented in Maine—a state with a population of 1.3 million and a relatively low rate of violent crime—but also marks the 36th mass killing in the United States this year. This information is according to a database maintained collaboratively by AP, USA Today, and Northeastern University, which records all mass killings since 2006 involving four or more victims within a 24-hour span, exclusive of the perpetrator.

Contributions to this report were made by Big Big News journalists David R. Martin and Matt Rourke in Lewiston, Maine, and Michael Casey in Boston.

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More about Mass Shooting

• Maine’s Worst Mass Shooting
• Robert Card: Perpetrator of Mass Shooting
• Community Response to Maine Mass Shooting
• Lewiston Mass Shooting Religious Services
• Robert Card’s Mental Health History
• Community’s Feelings Toward the Shooter
• Significance of the Mass Shooting in Maine’s History
• Comparison to National Mass Shooting Statistics