Here's what we know about the victims of Maine's deadliest shooting

Oct. 26—A young father whose wife is expecting their third child. A sign language interpreter who helped the deaf community navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. A high school sophomore who planned to be an auto mechanic like his dad. And a computer whiz who loved Christmas.

These were some of the victims of Wednesday's deadly shootings in Lewiston.

Authorities on Friday identified the victims publicly for the first time. They include 15 men, two women and a 14-year-old boy.

Seven of the victims were killed at Just-In-Time Recreation, a bowling alley on Mollison Way that used to be called Sparetime Recreation, and eight were killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille on Lincoln Street. Three died after being transferred to a local hospital.

Another 13 people were injured in the shootings at the two sites.

On Friday, police were still searching for suspect Robert Card, of Bowdoin, as friends and families mourned the loss of their loved ones.

"The victims of this tragedy are our family, friends, colleagues and neighbors," said Gov. Janet Mills in a statement. "It is often said that our state is 'one big, small town' because Maine is such a close-knit community... Tonight, I ask Maine people to join me in reading their stories, learning who they were, celebrating them as beloved people and mourning them as irreplaceable."

MAXX HATHAWAY

Maxx Hathaway had stayed behind to play pool at Schemengees Bar & Grille Wednesday after his wife, Brenda, returned home with their fussy toddler. According to family members, that was the last time Brenda, who is pregnant with the couple's third child, heard from Maxx.

According to a GoFundMe page set up by his sisters, the stay-at-home dad has two daughters, and was expecting the third in about a month. As of Friday night, the page had raised more than $83,000 from more than 1,300 individual donations.

"He was a goofy, down to earth person, loved to joke around and always had an uplifting attitude no matter what was goine on," his sister, Kelsay, wrote online. "Brenda, the girls, his family and friends meant the world to him and his loss will be felt among the communities he was a part of."

Hathaway, 36, was a goofy, down-to-earth person who loved to joke around, Kelsay said. He always had an uplifting attitude no matter what was going on. He liked anime, gaming and loved to play pool, which was what he was doing Wednesday night.

His family spent hours in agony trying to learn Hathaway's fate. Brenda spent Thursday morning at a makeshift family reunification center set up at Auburn Middle School, pacing back and forth with her toddler in tow calling area hospitals trying to find him, the Boston Globe reported.

"If those people (at Schemengees) could remember (my daughter) they could tell me if they saw my husband get shot," Brenda told The Boston Globe, showing printed photos of him. "But I would have no idea how to reach them."

A neighbor, 74-year-old Jo-Anne Gregoire, came with her. "She can't get any information. She's eight months pregnant. She's a mess," Gregoire said. "She needs something to hold onto right now."

His friends and extended family posted similar online pleas for information Thursday morning. It would not be until Thursday evening until they started to take those requests down and put up a series of online tributes to the man they described as a loving father.

Nichole Crowley grew up across the street from a young Maxx. She remembers the two of them play fighting with swords, jumping on the trampoline and playing hide and seek in the dark. She said her father became an ordained minister so he could marry the Hathaways.

"Maxx, you were such a treasured part of our family," Crowley remembered on Friday. "We knew you since you were 7 yrs old. You lived across the street from us and you practically lived in our home. ...I can't believe that your life was taken by this horrifying and terrible tragedy."

She said her father was so proud of the man he had turned out to be, and spoke often about his beautiful family. Even after they'd grown up, her father would give her regular updates about all things Hathaway: their continuing friendship, the dinners that they shared together, and his kids.

"You will forever be in our hearts and minds," Crowley said of Hathaway. — Penelope Overton (Portland Press Herald)

BILL AND AARON YOUNG

Bill Young was the type of dad who would "do anything" for his son, Aaron. So when Aaron decided to take up bowling as a hobby, Bill was all in.

"Aaron wanted to bowl, and Bill said, 'Get in the car,' He was a damn good dad," Rob Young, Bill's brother, said.

Three years later, Aaron had his highest score yet. Bill was so proud.

"(Bill) texted me a photo a couple weeks ago, on Oct. 6, of Aaron getting a 275 while bowling — his highest score ever," Rob Young said. "I bowl a 120 or something and a 14-year-old bowled a 275. That's what he liked to do, and he excelled. It made him happy."

Bill Young, 43, and Aaron Young, 14, were killed in the Lewison mass shooting on Wednesday night at Just-in-Time Recreation where Aaron participated in a youth bowling league.

Rob Young hopped on the first flight out of Maryland, where he lives, and flew to Maine with the small amount of information he knew. He did not anticipate finding out anything good.

"I know my brother well-enough that he's going toward the target," Young said.

Because that's the type of person Bill was — he was always going to protect his son — even though at the time of his death, Aaron was inches taller than Bill at 6 feet 4 inches tall.

Aaron, 14, was a student at Winthrop High School and will be remembered for being "nicest kid in the world," his uncle said.

When Aaron did not spend his time bowling, he liked to ride bikes with his friends and fish. "My brother Bill was his hero," said Young. — Emily Duggan (Kennebec Journal)

STEPHEN VOZELLA

Stephen Vozzella, a father, husband, cornhole player and postal worker was remembered Friday for his "huge smile."

Steve, 45, was among those killed while playing in a cornhole tournament at Schemengee's Bar and Grille Wednesday, friends and family confirmed on social media.

Steve, who was deaf, was an active member of New England Deaf Cornhole.

"With sadly and heavy hearts (sic), NEDC has lost a member of our community, Steve Vozzella," the groups said in a Facebook post. Steve had won several games and was eager to play more, the group said, mentioning his huge smile and excitement for the game.

"He will be missed on and off the courts! NEDC will not be the same without Steve Vozzella playing with us!

A father of two, Steve was preparing to celebrate his one year anniversary with his wife next month.

Friends and a former coach said on Facebook that Steve was a "class act" and a former student athlete who enjoyed baseball and basketball. His brother-in-law said in a post that Steve worked for the U.S. Postal Service.

Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said in a statement that he was heartbroken to learn that Steve, a member of the Lewiston branch of the association, had died.

"He had much more life to live before it was stolen from him in an all-too-common senseless act of gun violence," Renfroe said. "We mourn the loss of Stephen and all the innocent victims of this tragedy. Our hearts are with Stephen's loved ones, all of those affected and the entire town of Lewiston." — Hannah LaClaire (Press Herald)

ARTHUR STROUT

Arthur Strout was a Christmas person. Sometimes as early as Halloween he would get all his kids together, clean the house, put on Christmas music and put up a tree in his living room. He'd fix the branches so they sat just right. Then his wife, Kristy Strout, and their blended family of five kids, would wrap the tree in tinsel and lights.

"If it wasn't perfect, he'd go back to make sure it was perfect and looked like one of those pictures out of a magazine," Kristy said.

Arthur, 42, was born to Rena Stroud and Arthur Bernard in Lewiston, where he lived all his life. He was a whiz at computers and worked part time around town, fixing computers and cars.

He was married to his wife, Kristy for nearly 7 years, but the two started dating 16 years ago. Together, they share a 13-year-old daughter, Brianna, whose birthday is on Halloween. She had planned to stay home with her parents and pass out candy this year.

Arthur also has two children from a previous relationship, Marus, 23, and Milo, 19. His wife, Kristy, has two children from a previous relationship too, Summer, 18 and Logan, 17. The Stroud's lived together with all their children and were raising them as a blended family. Arthur had planned to adopt Logan when he turned 18.

"Now, he won't get that chance, it really hurt Logan to know he won't have him to guide him and be a role model anymore," said Kristy.

Arthur's friends and family describe him as a family man who always took care of his children.

"He always took care of me and the kids, he was home with them a lot because I worked, and he just spoiled the kids rotten," said Kristy.

His close friend, Maria Wilson, said his generosity and thoughtfulness extended beyond his family. "He looked out for anyone and everyone. It was a 'here you don't have a shirt, take mine,' kind of mentality," said Wilson.

Arthur loved arcade games and he could often be goofy with his loved ones. "He had the dorkiest laugh that got everyone laughing," said Wilson. "Like even if you didn't want to laugh you would laugh when he did."

Arthur was playing pool at Schemengees Bar & Grill on Wednesday night. He died on the scene. — Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald)

JOSHUA SEAL

Joshua Seal, the director of interpreting services at a nonprofit devoted to helping Mainers with disabilities, was shot and killed while participating in a cornhole tournament with deaf friends at Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston on Wednesday.

His boss, Pine Tree Society president Noel Sullivan, said Seal's death left an enormous hole in Maine's Deaf community. He created the Pine Tree Society's Dirigo Experience, a life-changing summer camp experience for Deaf youth, Sullivan said.

"He made communication and understanding possible in countless situations as an interpreter, mentor and tireless advocate," Sullivan said Thursday. "He was committed to breaking the cycle of isolation and creating safe space for Deaf people."

Seal was well known across Maine for his interpreting work during the daily pandemic briefings of former Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Nirav Shah, Sullivan said. He was one of two interpreters on screen with Shah. He had also worked for Gov. Janet Mills.

Seal gave interviews about his CDC briefing work. He relied on a hearing teammate to listen to Shah and then relay that to him in sign language. Joshua signed that information to viewers as a native speaker, making it easier for others like him in the Deaf community to understand.

Seal's wife, Elizabeth, who works for a nonprofit that supports deaf families, told the Portland Press Herald in May that she and Seal had attended preschool at Governor Baxter School for the Deaf on Falmouth's Mackworth Island before going to separate public schools. She talked about their family for a story about a deaf students' basketball league

The couple were raising their four children in Lisbon Falls. Elizabeth posted a loving online tribute to her husband, but couldn't be reached for comment. Sullivan said it was times like these, when Maine was experiencing a scale of violence without precedent, that the state's small but tight-knit Deaf community needed somebody like Seal the most.

"The ripple effects of his loss are truly unfathomable," Sullivan said.

Nirav Shah posted about the shootings and his friend on Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Here's the thing about Maine," Shah wrote. "It's a small town with 'very' long driveways. As a result, many Mainers will know someone impacted by Wednesday night's horrific events, either directly or indirectly. One of the victims was my friend and colleague, Josh Seal."

Shah described Seal as a fixture at the state's daily COVID-19 briefings and the "literal voice and face of the COVID response for the Deaf community in Maine and beyond."

He said Seal helped Maine navigate that tough period. "I marveled at his ability interpret what we were saying at light speed — even my (awful) attempts at humor during dark days," Shah tweeted. "He never missed a beat. He will be forever issued and always remembered as a part of Maine's history. Rest in peace, Josh." — Penelope Overton (Press Herald)

RONALD MORIN

Ronald G. Morin, 55, was remembered by friends as a sweet, funny man who enjoyed cornhole, baseball and street hockey and loved to tell jokes.

Chad Hopkins, owner of the Apple Valley Golf Course in Lewiston, said Morin had been a good friend for three decades. He called Morin a "jack of all trades" who was always smiling. Morin played hockey and softball and was a great father, Hopkins said.

According to his Facebook page, Morin lived in Lewiston.

"Why do men go to bars to meet women. Go to Target. The female to male ratio is 10 to 1. And they're already looking for things they don't need," he joked in a post made just a few days before he was killed.

Several people had commented by Friday saying they would miss his sense of humor. "He literally made me laugh out loud every day," said one comment.

Attempts to reach family members for interviews Friday were unsuccessful.

But several people posted on Facebook saying Morin would be greatly missed.

"Those that knew him said he had a radiating light and was one of the funniest people they knew," read one post. — Rachel Ohm (Press Herald) and Steve Collins (Sun Journal)

LUCY VIOLETTE

Lucy Violette, 73, worked for the Lewiston School Department for 50 years. Her daughter-in-law, Cassandra Violette, wrote online that she was "a kind soul to all, and a supportive and loving partner to Bob for decades."

Lucy like her husband, Bob, who also died in the shooting, loved to bowl. She was devoted to their three sons, Andrew, Tom, and John, and six grandchildren.

Not long after a first date of homemade spaghetti, Lucy proposed to Bob. She was a woman who held tightly to the things she loved and brought a warm and calm presence wherever she went, according to tributes posted on social media.

On Facebook, a friend wrote that Lucy was "one of the most caring women I've ever known." While Bob would often crack jokes and light up a room with his gregarious energy, Lucy was his foil.

She would laugh and say, "Oh, Bob." Friends wrote that sometimes Bob would make jokes just to see how Lucy would react.

Lucy, like Bob, lost her life in an effort to protect kids at the bowling alley. — Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald)

JOE WALKER

Joe Walker wasn't just the manager of Schemengees Bar & Grill. The job was a passion.

"He loves it. That's why he took the job," said Walker's father, Leroy Walker Sr. "He worked for another company and had a pretty good job but decided to go to work doing this because it's what he liked to do. He's into sports and knew he could make the place lively and bring in a lot of business."

Joe, 57, lived in nearby Auburn with his wife, Tracey. He had worked at Schemengees for five or six years, his father said.

The restaurant and billiard hall would have certainly been busy Wednesday night, when a cornhole league was playing.

"The place is packed Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday," he said. "My son had something going all the time. He had the place busy as hell."

Joe's Facebook page includes photos of him skydiving, attending a Red Sox game at Fenway Park and on his wedding day.

He'd been involved in the community since his teenage years, when he played in softball leagues, and he brought cornhole tournaments to the area.

"He's a great kid," said his father, a city councilor in Auburn. "He's always been great to people. He takes care of people. There's nothing he won't do for anybody."

Leroy Walker said Thursday morning that he had seen his son at breakfast earlier in the week at the Station Grill Restaurant, where Joe also worked. He said he tried calling his phone after getting word of the shooting Wednesday night, but had no luck getting through to him. "We're all thinking the worst," he said. And it was.

A police officer told the family that Joe died a hero, trying to take the shooter out with a butcher's knife that was found next to his hand when first responders arrived.

"He's just a great overall young man," Leroy Walker said. "People love him. He loves people. If he was sitting here with me, he would just be so sorry about what has happened. A lot of his friends were killed in the same scene. Others were shot up. ... It's just a real tough thing. I know he would be just so sorry something like this happened." — Rachel Ohm (Press Herald) and Joe Charpentier (Sun Journal)

BOB VIOLETTE

Bob Violette, 76, a retired Sears mechanic and avid bowler, was born and raised in Lewiston. He grew up speaking French and attending Catholic church. He married Lucy Violette almost 50 years ago and has three sons, Andrew, Tom and John, and six grandchildren.

Bob bowled most weekday mornings and played in a couple's bowling league with his wife. Many years ago, he started running a youth bowling league at Sparetime Recreation, for which he recently was inducted into the Maine Bowling Hall of Fame.

A lifelong Lewiston resident, Bob had deep ties to the community and was the kind of person who made everyone feel comfortable and cared for, said Cassandra Violette, his daughter-in-law.

"He wouldn't let you walk out the door without giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He was just there for everything," she said.

He loved kids and had a special bond with his grandkids. His eldest grandsons regularly joined him on Wednesdays for youth bowling nights, and he and his oldest grandson both loved Chinese food. His youngest grandchild is not yet 5.

Lucy and Bob met through work long ago, and on their first date Lucy made him spaghetti. "He said it was the worst spaghetti he had ever had," said Cassandra, laughing. Not long after, Lucy proposed to Bob.

"That was always the story. She knew how special he was and couldn't let him go," Cassandra said.

Bob was equally smitten with Lucy. He was a doting husband who set timers on his phone to make sure his wife never missed her medication. "His first thought every day was her," his daughter-in-law said.

When his son's family had a hard time finding housing, he and Lucy opened their home to them — welcoming the family of six in for months last year. Bob was a thoughtful and fun grandfather.

"He always made everyone laugh, even if it was a terrible situation," Cassandra said.

Bob was the kind of guy who thought deeply about things. No decision was too small to weigh carefully — even what brand of kitchenware to buy.

"He would research until you couldn't research anymore," his daughter-in-law said. "We used to make fun of him because he would go online and research a crockpot for like three weeks before he'd buy it."

He also carefully researched the iPads and iPhones he bought to bring to his youth bowling league. He wanted to get good videos of the kids' form to help them improve.

"He loved those kids, all of them," Cassandra said.

Although he grew up Catholic, he drifted from the church as an adult, but in recent years he had developed a renewed interest in religion and joined the Baptist church. It meant a lot to him that his grandkids attended local Christian schools in Lewiston. As he grew more connected to religion, he also started thinking about the end of his life.

"It's almost like he knew something was going to happen because he was making his own arrangements," his daughter-in-law said. Bob's birthday was coming up in November. He was about to turn 77.

His daughter-in-law said she first caught wind of the shooting on Facebook. When she realized there was a shooter at the bowling alley, she immediately panicked, knowing Lucy and Bob went there every Wednesday night.

"I called him, and he never, ever not answered his phone. He could be in the middle of something or in a bad mood and he would still answer the phone," she said. "We just kept calling and calling and calling."

Bob was reportedly killed trying to protect the kids for whom he was responsible. Witnesses said he stood between the shooter and the children in his bowling league, shielding the children from bullets.

"I was told that he got the worst of it, and that's what really kills me — because he was trying to protect someone else," his daughter-in-law said.

Lucy was reportedly injured and carried out of the bowling alley by survivors. She was taken to an area hospital. Her condition is unknown. — Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald)

PEYTON BREWER-ROSS

Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40, of Bath, pipefitter, wrestler and cornhole player, and was killed while playing in a cornhole tournament at Schemengees Bar & Grille.

Friends and co-workers described him as a likable, funny and all-around good guy.

Wayne Benwell Jr., a close childhood friend, said he could be a "ballbuster" but was also sincere.

"He's into baseball and history. He also likes whimsical things like Superman, nerdy card games and dressing up like Macho Man to make you and himself laugh," he said. "If this happened to any one of us, he'd be beside himself with grief. He was sensitive like that."

Sandra Scribner Merlim said Peyton was one of the "three amigos" with her sons, Benwell and Dominic Cofone, when they were growing up in Westbrook. He was funny, respectful, laid-back and "salt of the earth," she said.

He had recently helped Benwell move — he was always ready to lend a hand.

It took him a long time to find the right girl and have a child, she said, but his 2-year-old daughter was the light of his life.

He was devastated that his mother never got to meet her, Benwell said.

According to the pipefitter's union, Peyton had recently completed a Bath Iron Works apprenticeship program and was ready to start the next phase of his life.

Devin Ragnar, spokesperson for Local S6, said Peyton was an upstanding union member, an upstanding citizen and an excellent human being.

Ragnar and Peyton went through the four-year apprenticeship program together, studying together and supporting each other through the difficult classes.

"When you were talking to Peyton, he was listening," Ragnar said. "He was caring, compassionate and really funny."

In a statement, Bath Iron Works said that in the five years since he was hired, Peyton had made a positive impact on the company and was a valuable team member.

"He will be sorely missed," the company said.

Outside of work, Peyton was an avid comic book fan.

"Anyone who knows him is aware of the many, many tattoos on his body," Ragnar said. "He's covered in these awesome tattoos of all these different superheroes."

He also loved cornhole.

His brother, Ralph Wellman Brewer, said on social media that along with his family, he loved the sport. "He was doing something he loved when he was taken way too young," he said.

Kevin Mann, of KaveMann Toys and Collectibles, remembered selling Peyton a Superman figure at an event in 2021 and seeing his elaborate Man of Steel tattoo.

"That moment right there was a Clark-Kent-to-Superman moment as Peyton Brewer-Ross showed a powerful visage and joy and contentment and we shared a priceless moment of kinship over toys," he said. — Hannah LaClaire (Press Herald)

TRICIA ASSELIN

Tricia Asselin of Auburn, who was at the bowling alley on Wednesday, "was not like your average girl," said a friend, Sarah Proulx of Hebron.

"She had the biggest heart I've ever met," Proulx said.

Chad Hopkins, another friend and Asselin's boss for the past eight years at Apple Valley Golf Club, said she was "a helper first and foremost," always willing to work.

Asselin had a grown son she cared for deeply, friends said, but she found the time and energy to embrace many co-workers as well.

"Such a giver," Proulx said.

She worked three jobs, Hopkins said: a full-time one with Modula, Inc. in Lewiston and part-time at the golf club and the bowling alley.

At the height of the season, she would log as many as 30 extra hours at the golf club, Hopkins said, and also put in time at the bowling alley.

"She just never stood still," said Hopkins, the head professional at Apple Valley and its owner.

"Sleep is overrated," Asselin recently wrote on Facebook.

Both Proulx and Hopkins said she raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research, though neither was sure why she chose that cause.

She loved sports, especially golf and bowling. — Steve Collins (Sun Journal)

BRYAN MACFARLANE

Bryan MacFarlane was playing in a cornhole tournament at Schemengees Bar & Grille when he and three members of his team, American Deaf Cornhole, were shot and killed Wednesday, said his older sister, Keri Brooks, of Florida.

She was receiving condolence texts Thursday from people all over the country who knew her brother, either from cornhole tournaments, tractor racing or the small, tight Deaf community with whom he loved to socialize.

Nine Deaf people were playing cornhole at the weekly tournament, Brooks said. She knew two of her brother's slain teammates, too. Several other teammates were injured. Like many of the community, they knew each other through Governor Baxter School for the Deaf.

Brooks learned from her best friend, who lives in Maine, that her brother was likely dead. A few hours later, police showed up at her mother's house and confirmed it, said Brooks, a yoga instructor.

MacFarlane, 40, had only recently returned to Maine after stints in Vermont, Ohio and North Carolina. He wanted be near their mother, who lives in Lewiston. But they grew up in the greater Portland area, Brooks said.

MacFarlane loved riding his motorcycle, camping, fishing, hanging out with deaf friends and his dog, M&M (named after his favorite candy), who regularly joined him on his travel as a commercial trucker, Brooks said.

"His greatest life achievement is obtaining his Class D trucking license," she said by text. "He was the first Deaf person to do so in Vermont, one of the very few Deaf people nationwide to obtain such a license." — Penelope Overton (Press Herald)

THOMAS CONRAD

Thomas Conrad, who was hired as a manager at Just-In-Time Recreation earlier this year, was remembered by bowling friends on Thursday as a kind, serious person who was devoted to his job, his game and his young daughter, Caroline.

His friends were told by the bowling alley's owners that he was gunned down while trying to take out a man who walked into the business shooting. Conrad had served in the Army, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, said friend Adam Stoddard.

Stoddard said Conrad's love for kids in the bowling community led him to make the ultimate sacrifice.

"He was great with all of the bowling community kids," Stoddard said. "They all loved him. He loved them so much he put his life in harm's way to charge the gunman and save the children who were there. He died a hero."

Conrad had moved around a lot during his military service but moved back to Maine so that he could be near his daughter, Caroline, Stoddard said. He had extended family in Maine, too, Stoddard said.

Several relatives posted Facebook memorials of Conrad of Thursday but didn't respond to interview requests.

Stoddard remembered Conrad buying him a beer on his 21st birthday and the times that Conrad would invite him to stay after closing time to swap service stories, listen to Eminem and bowl a few after-hours frames. Sometimes Caroline would be there, playing Minecraft.

"He'd say, 'Yo, I'm kicking everyone out because of hours but we are good to stay and shut the place down," Stoddard said. "We'd all be having a good time listening to music. Thomas really knew how to make you feel like one of the boys." — Penelope Overton (Press Herald)