Hundreds gather in Maine to mourn victims of Lewiston shootings

As the focus of Maine's worst mass shooting in history shifts toward healing, hundreds of people gathered in Lisbon Saturday evening for the first of several planned vigils to remember the victims.

A full moon rose over Lisbon as people lit candles and came together on the bank of the Androscoggin River.

Pastor Jon Jones of Lisbon Falls Baptist Church, said this is the beginning of the healing process. He read the names of those killed by the gunman.

"Tonight we want to pray for the victims and their families, for Tricia, for Peyton, for William, for Thomas, Michael, for Maxx, here from Lisbon, for Bryan, Keith, Ronald, Joshua, Arthur, Stephen, Lucille, Robert, Joseph, Jason, William and Aaron," he said.

Jones also encouraged people to pray for the family of the shooter, who was found dead in Lisbon on Friday, and for all those who were injured in the shooting.

Eileen Crossman attended the vigil with several of her siblings. She said they were close to 35-year-old Maxx Hathaway, who was killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille, leaving behind a young daughter and pregnant wife.

"I'm here because of just the horrific event, in total, and we know Maxx Hathaway, very well, since he was seven years old," Crossman said. "He was always at my brother's house, along with his wife Brenda."

Crossman and her sister Colleen Crowley said they think the Lewiston area will recover from this trauma, but they want to see assault weapons banned, something Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, who is from Lewiston, says he now supports.

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by Maine Public.