Maine mass shootings: Community mourns while in lockdown

In the aftermath of Maine’s worst mass shootings, a constant refrain has been heard: We thought it could never happen here. Until it did. 

And when it did – after a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle sprayed bullets at families out bowling and, minutes later, at adults relaxing at a bar on a warm Wednesday night – a shell-shocked community found itself angry, anxious – and atomized. 

The suspect, a U.S. Army reservist, is still at large, pursued by local, state, and federal law enforcement, so residents in Lewiston and nearby towns have been told to shelter in place. The streets are deserted; businesses and schools are closed. Grieving for the 18 people killed and the processing of the trauma of those who fled