“Don’t look away,” Lewiston shooting survivor confronts city council
By Francis Flisiuk
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LEWISTON, Maine (WMTW) — Nearly three years after the worst mass shooting in Maine, a city councilor in Lewiston believes the city still has work to do to address the lasting financial impacts among the victims’ families and survivors.
During a city council meeting that stretched late into the night on Tuesday, leaders took up Councilor Susan Longchamps’ proposal that would launch a city-led assessment of the shooting-related needs and financial burdens of those impacted by the Oct. 25, 2023 attack.
“The events of that night deeply affected our city and our nation and the impact continues to be felt today,” said Councilor Longchamps. “Many victims and survivors are still living with lasting emotional, physical and financial effects. Over time, members of our community have come before this council asking us to look into the donations that were generously given to support those affected.”
The council ultimately voted 7-0 to table the issue to the next meeting, after the city administrator cited legal questions that still need to be answered and a lack of clear goals in the resolution.
The vote also came after several residents, including a survivor who was critically wounded at Schmengees, demanded answers from city leadership about how money raised by the community for victim’s families and survivors was spent.
“I spent 19 days in the hospital when the foundations that you guys set up for fundraising, I wasn’t part of it because I was still in that hospital bed fighting for my life,” said survivor Ben Dyer during public comment. “The money you guys raised is missing. We’re not asking to get rich. This isn’t about money, it’s about survival.”
Other residents raised similar concerns about how the $6.6 million raised in the aftermath of the shooting was distributed, alleging that donors were misled and money intended to go directly to survivors went to community nonprofits instead. City leaders have maintained the fundraising and distribution process has been transparent, and that the Maine Community Foundation had clearly given donors the option to choose where their money would go.
According to the Maine Community Foundation, of the total raised, $4.7 million was allocated to 162 people directly impacted by the shooting and $1.9 million went to community groups.
Back in October of 2024, the Maine Attorney General’s office cleared MCF of any alleged wrongdoing or mishandling of donations.
Lewiston councilors, including the resolution’s sponsor, also reiterated that MCF handled fundraising appropriately, but also recognized that some of the questions raised by concerned survivors are “valid, reasonable and understandable.”
“I think those questions have been answered over and over and over again and I’m not certain that this council can answer those questions to the satisfaction of people who are not satisfied with the answers that have already been provided,” said Councilor David Chittim.
The resolution will be taken up for further discussion and a possible vote on March 3.
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