We have an active shooter. We have an after shooting's go ahead of a
clay with a mass casualty. Welcome to Active Shooter, a podcast that covers
the whys, the hows, and the aftermath of active shooter and mass casualty
events. I have an active shooter in a building, a checking call as
the our Big attacks. We got chush fire at four fifteen as Bridge ninety
one, so I'm like, oh, I'm at a fire on active shooter.
Orts of an active shooter, active shooter, active shooter in mass casualty
incidents. Thank you for listening. You are listening to Active Shooter, a
podcast that may contain adult themes, explicit language, and graphic depictions of violence.
Portions of this show may be traumatic for those under eighteen. Listener discretion
is advised. This is the CBS News special report on Jared Hill in New
York. There's breaking news out of Lewiston, Maine, about forty minutes north
of Portland. Police are searching for a mass shooter who reportedly opened fire at
at least two different locations, including a bar and grill and a bowling alley.
Multiple law enforcement sources tell CBS News that at least sixteen people and perhaps
more than twenty have been killed dozens more injured. The Sheriff's office released these
photos of the suspect, who appears to be holding an ar style assault rifle.
The shootings in Lewiston, Maine, October twenty five, twenty twenty three,
were deliberate, planned attacks carried out against two businesses that the shooter believed
were out to get him in some way. There were several other businesses on
the shooter's list of those who had wronged him, although it's unclear whether they
were meant to be a part of the attack. The shooter had experienced a
severe mental health decline and acted out in concerning manners. He made threats to
cause harm, and he was known to have the means and training to carry
out his sadistic plans. Those who knew the shooter became worried about his mental
state and they spoke up. Unfortunately, those warnings weren't heated, and as
such, a man with a grudge was able to carry out a horrific act
of mass murder against hundreds of unsuspecting and innocent men, women, and children.
Today's case is dedicated to the lives and memories of the thirteen injured survivors
and the eighteen shooting victims. Ronald Morin, Peyton Brewer, Ross, Joshua
Seal, Brian McFarlane, Joseph Walker, Arthur Strout, Max Hathaway, Stephen
Vozzella, Thomas Conrad, Michael R. Deslorier, The Second, Jason Walker,
Tricia c Aslin, William Yun, Aaron Young, Robert Violette, Lucille
Violette, William Brackett, and Keith D. Mcneer. Active Shooter The podcast
is a High five Holly production, and I'm your host j T. If
you've listened to our prior episodes, you know that the Active Shooter podcast team
has taken THEE No Notoriety pledge and we will not be sharing the real name
to the shooters that we cover. We will be giving the shooters a pseudonym
and refer to them by that name throughout the episode. This will help in
clearing up any confusion in the story while remaining true to our pledge and not
naming the shooter by their actual name. We will refer to today's shooter as
VIC. Wednesday, October twenty fifth, twenty twenty three was a slightly cooler
evening, with temps hovering in the mid fifties, the night sky was clear.
In Lewiston, Maine, which is located within Anderskagin County, the Just
In Time Recreation Center was bustling with activity, as there was both a youth
bowling league event and a cornhole tournament for the deaf taking place there. It's
not clear precisely how many people were at the rec center, but there were
a lot of people who came out for the respective events, and there isn't
a single one in attendance who could have been prepared for the manner in which
their lives were forever changed. Forty year old Vic arrived at the rec center
shortly before seven pm. He parked his twenty thirteen Subreu outback at the recreation
center and selected a firearm from the three he brought for the attack. Vic
chose a Ruger Sfar threeh eight semi automatic rifle, leaving behind a Smith and
Wesson M and P fifteen two twenty three caliber semi automatic rifle which wasn't used,
and a Smith and Wesson M and P forty caliber semi automatic pistol.
The Ruger was specifically equipped with a flashlight and extended magazine. As soon as
he entered the center, Vic opened fire. Within moments, nine to one
one calls replaced, alerting authorities to an active shooter. Four minutes after the
first call. Law enforcement was on the scene, but Vic had already fled
in his wake. He left seven deceased shooting victims, including six men and
one woman. While we were inside and snowing a bowling and out of nowhere,
he just came in and there was a loud pop. Sought it was
a balloon. I had my back turned to the door, and as soon
as I turned and saw there was not a balloon, he was holding a
weapon. I just booked it down the lane and I slid basically into where
the pins are and climbed up on the machine and was on top of the
machines for about ten minutes until the cops got there Luber ten, where at
least I knew they were shots. And then when I got on top of
the bowling machine, it was a lot of ruckus back there, so I
don't really know who from that, but I heard the first one that was
probably fifty feet behind me. He was close, very close. Nothing,
no one close, I mean I'm pretty sure I knew one guy who I
I'm not gonna say it with his friends. I just knew him friendly to
see him that before. But I just went there, you know, just
to bow by myself. And yeah, I wasn't even there ten minutes,
ten minutes. Yeah, I just walked into place. I mean yet,
I was putting on my bowling shoes when I when I started. So I've
been barefoot for five hours outside of the wreck Center. At a nearby shooting
range, a few police officers were shooting when they heard the sounds of gunfire,
not their own, coming from what sounded like the justin Time rec Center.
The plain closed officers rushed to the scene without a moment's hesitation. Other
first responders noticed straight away that there were several rifle cartridges scattered on the floor
of the center. Twelve minutes after the first nine to one to one call,
several more calls started pouring in reporting another active shooter at a separate location.
Captain, this shooting was at Schamenzi's Bar and Grill restaurant. You see
victed and flee the first scene, run and hide. His bloodlust wasn't satisfied
yet. He entered the bar, and just like at the rec center,
he opened fire, shooting the Smith and Weston m and P forty caliber a
semi automatic pistol wildly, before turning and running from the bar. Once again,
the police response was swift. Officers were unseen within two minutes of the
initial nine to one one call, yet Vic was long gone. Eight additional
victims were murdered at this location, seven men inside of the bar and one
man just outside of the bar. Another three people were shot at the bar
and rushed to the emergency room, though sadly each later died as a result
of their injuries. Meanwhile, Vic was on the lamb. Police were quickly
able to capture an image of him from the surveillance system, and the photo
was broadcasted to the public with a bolow warning. A local shelter in place
was ordered in Lewiston proper and naturally any schools, specifically local colleges were put
on lockdown. Classes the following day were canceled, and before long the lockdown
order was extended to Bowdwin. On October twenty sixth, when the shooter was
still at large. Because of the proximity to the Canadian border, security was
beefed up at the points of entry. The ATF and FBI were called in
to assist in the manhunt and investigation. At nine twenty six pm, Vic's
sister called police Chief David Saint Pierre with the Lewiston Police Department. She told
the chief that she believed her brother was the shooter and she wanted to report
it. About a half hour later, Lewiston PD was contacted again, this
time by officers with the Lisbon Police Department. Lisbon PD was reporting that they
came across a Subaru that was identified in a bolo. The car was parked
the Pajepscott Boat Launch, which sat alongside the Androscoggin River in Lisbon. Maine.
State Police Detective Connor Walton was tasked to perform a reverse vehicle search on
the shooter, and the results came back showing that Vic had a twenty thirteen
white Subaru outback and the plates matched the car was there, Vic was not.
On October twenty sixth, police issued an arrest warrant for Vic. He
was being charged with eight counts of murder, one for each victim that was
known at the time. The following day, police dive teams and an rov
or remotely operated vehicle were dropped into the river near where Vic's vehicle was discovered.
Nothing of evidentiary value was located. Later that day, at seven forty
five pm, Vic's body was found situated close to his former workplace, a
recycling center, which also sat along the Androscoggin River. The recycling center was
actually searched the previous evening, but nothing was found. The owner called police
back on the twenty seventh to ask them to return and search again, but
this time inside of an overflow parking lot and in some storage trailers. He
intimated that Vic was very familiar with the property and could likely find an obscure
place to hide. Vic. His body was located inside of an unlocked trailer
that was loaded with metal and plastic scrap. Because it wasn't obvious that this
lot and trailers were owned by the recycling center, they were across the street,
after all, police didn't search the trailers the night before, not knowing
it was the recycling center's property. Vic died from a self inflicted gunshot wound,
and the subsequent autopsy indicated that he likely died about eight to twelve hours
before he was found Back at Vic's house, a note was located and thought
to be a possible suicide letter. It was reportedly addressed to someone important to
Vic and included bank account numbers and the passcode to his phone. As is
almost always the case, each firearm VIC possessed was legally purchased despite serious reported
mental health issues. There was absolutely nothing barring this monster from arming himself to
the teeth so he could commit the most dastardly act known to man. Ronald
Ron G. Morin was born on May twenty third, nineteen sixty eight,
and the fifty five year old had been employed with Coca Cola since nineteen eighty
nine. Ron was known as a conscientious and loyal employee and man who had
been married to his soulmate Lynn Morin since nineteen ninety. Ron leaves behind his
wife and two adult children, Amy and Eric. Peyton Brewer Ross was born
on January thirty first, nineteen eighty three. The forty year old pipe fitter
leaves behind fiancee Rachel and their little girl, l Thirty six year old Joshua
Seal was born on September ninth, nineteen eighty seven, and was a certified
deaf interpreter as well as the director of interpreting services at Pine Tree Society.
Joshua married the love of his life and they had been together forever, but
married four years. The couple had four children, including a twelve year old,
nine year old, six year old and four year old. Brian m
MacFarlane was forty one years old and was raised in the Greater Portland area and
attended the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf. Brian was incredibly proud, rightfully
so, of his greatest life's achievement, which was becoming the first deaf person
in the state of Vermont to earn his CDL or commercial Driver's license. Motorsports
were his passion, including RCA racing, snowmobiling and motorcycling, but he also
thoroughly enjoyed a good camping trip and spent time with his friends. Fifty seven
year old Joseph Joe Lawrence Walker was born on April seventeenth, nineteen sixty six.
The manager of Schemengi's Bar and Grill and the Station Grill restaurant. Joe
thrived when he was working with and meeting new people, and he genuinely loved
his job. Jolie's behind a wife four daughters and two sons. Arthur Ardie
Fred Strout was born on April thirtieth, nineteen eighty one, and was described
as a true friend, a devoted husband, father, son, uncle,
and brother to many. Loved Ones say that the forty two year old loved
to laugh and was actually known for his laugh, which was more like a
giggle. Already married his best friend Christie on March fifth, twenty sixteen,
and the couple shared a blended family of five children. Thirty five year old
Max A. Hathaway was born on May twentieth, nineteen eighty eight. He
earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business administration and Finance from the University of
Southern Maine. Max's wife was pregnant with their third daughter when he was murdered.
Max's wife was pregnant with their third daughter at the time of his murder.
Stephen M. Vuzzal was born on November eighteenth, nineteen seventy seven,
and attended elementary school at Beverly School for the Deaf before eventually graduating from North
Shore Vocational School in nineteen ninety six. Forty five year old Stephen was employed
with the United States Post Office as a letter carrier in Boston, Massachusetts from
nineteen ninety eight to twenty twenty two, and then in Lewistown until the time
he was killed. He is survived by his Cherish wife, Megan, and
their daughter. Thomas Ryan Conrad was a thirty four year old who was born
in Couville, Whidby Island in Washington State. An Army vet who served in
Northern Iraq, Thomas was currently employed at the Just In Time Restaurant. A
die hard New England sports enthusiast, he leaves behind one precious daughter, fifty
one year old Michael R. Delorier the Second was born on February twelfth,
nineteen seventy two. Known as Mikey by close friends and family, he was
employed with Saint Mary's Hospital Covenant Health for thirty years, but at the time
of the shooting he was a network engineer for w G Tech. Mikey is
survived by his true love Stacy and their two children. Jason Adam Walker was
born on December fourth, nineteen seventy one. He graduated from Oak Hill High
School in nineteen ninety and immediately enlisted in the Main National Guard, but most
of his work life was in the building trades. Fifty one year old Jason
is survived by two sons and his loving wife. Tricia c Astlin was a
busy fifty three year old woman who was always on the go and often sacrificed
her free time in order to give back to others, particularly through the Susan
g Coman and the Make a Wish Foundations. Tricia is survived by her treasured
son. Forty four year old William Arthur Young was a veteran of the United
States Air Force who was an auto mechanic for the past twelve years leading up
to the shooting. He will always be remembered for his laugh, which was
contagious. William leaves behind his wife, Cynthia, daughter Lauren, and stepdaughter
Cayla. The youngest of the victims, fourteen year old Aaron Jacob Young,
was just a freshman at Winthrop High School, and he was taken from this
world far too young. The young man was an exceptional student who was considerate
and kind, genuinely concerning himself with seeing to other people's happiness. Aaron enjoyed
playing video games, golfing, and bowling. His father, William Yune,
the man he idolized, was shot and killed alongside his son the man he
worshiped. Seventy six year old Robert Bob Edward violet a United States Navy veteran,
was a retired Sears mechanic and recently employed by Lee Carrs. Along with
the absolute love of his life, he was a father to three sons,
uns, and a grandfather. Bob was shot and killed while out with his
wife, Lucille. Seventy three year old Lucille. Lucy Marie Violette was a
sweet and gentlewoman who was known to be the most inviting person, excepting each
individual for who they were. She was a long standing employee for Lewiston Public
Schools, working as a secretary for fifty two astonishing years. Lucy and Bob
are survived by their sons and grandchildren. William Billy Frank Brackett was born on
September first, nineteen seventy five, in Hamilton, Ohio. Proud to be
a member of the deaf community, Billy stayed active by fishing and hunting,
but he was known to love a good game of cornhole. The forty eight
year old is survived by his loving wife, Christina and daughter Sandra. Sixty
four year old Keith mc nair was only a few years into retirement when he
was murdered. He lived in Florida, but was visiting his son Breslyn in
Lewistown. Deciding to go out for an evening, Keith and Breslyn had dinner
at the bar and grill together before Breslen had to leave for a meeting.
He was supposed to return to the bar after the meeting, but he never
made it back to his dad before an active shooter changed his world forever.
Keith retired in the fall of twenty twenty from the US National Park Service at
the Virgin Islands National Park as well as the Virgin Island's Coral Reef National Monument.
He is survived by his only child and many other friends and family.
Vic was born on April fourth, nineteen eighty three in bowdowin Maine, which
is approximately two and a half hours worth of Boston. His father was a
rural mail carrier who also maintained a small farm where he milled and sold lumber.
Vic's dad passed away in two thousand one, and after his death,
Vic assumed ownership of his father's estate. It's been reported that Vic's family was
one of the most affluent and Bodowin. However, the town is of a
smaller scale. From two thousand and one to two thousand four, Vic studied
engineering technology but didn't graduate from the University of Maine. Vic was a petroleum
supply specialist in the United States Army Reserves, and he'd achieved the rank of
Sarchan first Class. Though he'd been active since December of two thousand two,
he wasn't ever deployed into combat. He married in two thousand five, but
he and his wife split up a mere two years into the marriage. The
couple had a son during their brief union and shared custody after the divorce.
About six months before the shooting, Vic's ex wife claimed that he quote recently
picked up about ten to fifteen handguns and rifles from his brother's house. It's
unclear whether this was reported to anyone prior to the shooting. Their son,
who was an adult by the time of the shooting, also reported concerns about
his dad, claiming that he was allegedly hearing voices. Vic's son was clear
that his father never threatened anyone, but he was concerned about his dad having
the weapons when he was obviously not in a good place with his mental health.
On August fifth, Vic took a trip to the Coastal Defense Firearms gun
shop. He'd ordered a gun silencer online and was there to pick up his
purchase. When he arrived, the store representative asked Vic if he'd ever been
committed to a mental health facility or if he was ever adjudicated as a mental
defective, to which Vic replied, yes, he was. The store refused
to complete the transaction and Vic was sent on his way. A month later,
the Sheriff's office was sent a letter at that indicated Vic might quotequote snap
and commit a mass shooting. The letter was sent by a fellow Reserve soldier,
and officials requested a welfare check on Vic due to their concerns about his
behavior. Specifically, they indicated that Vic quote is having psychotic episodes where he
is hearing voices that are insulting him, calling him a pedophile, and saying
that Vic was quote making threats to shoot up a National Guard building. Yet
another soldier indicated that Vic assaulted him when the pair were driving back from a
casino. A welfare check was conducted on September fifteenth, but Vic wasn't at
home. A File six, which is similar to a beyond the Lookout or
BOLO, was issued. In addition to the File six, authorities were told
to approach Vic with caution, citing Vic as quote suffering from psychotic episodes and
hearing voices. The following day, on the sixteenth, a deputy went to
Vic's residence again and knocked several times, once again to know avail. The
deputy reached out to Vic's unit commander, who claimed that he quote no longer
had any weapons from the reserve unit, and the commander felt that Vic was
best left alone. On September seventeenth, another deputy contacted Vic's brother, who
informed them that his siblings weapons were all stored on the family farm, locked
in a safe, but that they planned to move them. The deputy asked
Vic's brother to call him back if they determined that Vic might harm himself or
others. It seems numerous efforts were made to check in on Vic. Something
didn't feel or seem right, and it was reported and acted upon. Sadly,
police never managed to make that contact with Vic, and we know all
too well how this story ends. The summer before the shooting, the exact
month and date aren't known. Vic did spend two weeks in an impatient mental
health treatment facility. It was during that time that Vic was at Camp Smith
in New York. After the shooting, Vic's sister, whom we will call
Karen, interviewed with Maine State Police Detective Justin Huntley. She wanted to give
some background information on exactly who her brother was. The following statements, while
not verbatim, have been extracted from the police affidavit. Karen stated that since
February of twenty twenty three, Vic was in a delusional state following a devastating
breakup from his ex girlfriend, whom he met at a cornhole tournament in Schemengi's
Bar and Grill. Karen went on to say that Vic lost an extreme amount
of weight and began making concerning statements. He started wearing hearing aids and stopped
taking his prescribed medications. She told police that Vic was incredibly interested in guns,
particularly handguns and assault rifles, and described a time when her brother was
certain that there was a conspiracy against him and people were calling him a pedophile.
Karen explained that those things weren't true, but Vic believed it. In
fact, he thought the entire family, along with various businesses, were all
in on the scheme to convince the world of his pedophilia. The businesses that
he thought were out to get him Goell's Market, Mixer's Nightclub and Just In
Time Recreation, and Schimengi's Bar and Grill, the former two being businesses he
attacked in the shooting. The shooter's brain was sent to Boston University for testing,
including one test to determine if he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also
known as CTE. The university, which has a research center that is solely
focused on CTE research, has described the disease as quote progressive degenerative disease of
the brain found in people with a history of repetitive head impacts. Some symptoms
of ct include impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, memory loss,
confusion, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, parkinsonism, and progressive dementia.
Unfortunately, the disease can only be diagnosed after death, when the brain can
be fully examined and tested. With more research and understanding of this condition,
perhaps we can discover a way of testing before it's far too late. The
Just In Time Recreation Center hasn't reopened at the time of this recording, but
is undergoing remodeling and plans to open again, hopefully very soon, according to
their Facebook page. Schemengi's Bar and Grille is also still closed, but their
Facebook page reports that the restaurant does intend to reopen. We all have the
unique ability to help prevent such a catastrophic event from happening if we keep our
eyes and ears open and never hesitate to report when some thing or some one
just doesn't seem right. With the delicate balance of mental health reform, education,
active shooter training, and common sense gun laws, we may one day
realize the dream, the dream that there will be no more active shootings.
We pray that love will prevail over hate. Too many have died, we
should say to ourselves, not one more. In the meantime, we urge
our listeners to stay aware of your surroundings and keep in touch with your loved
ones. If you see something, say something, you never know how many
lives you'll be saving. Thank you for listening to today's episode of Active Shooter
the podcast. Remember, if you see something, say something, there's no
telling how many lives you may be saving. A big thank you to Darren
Curtis who composed some of the songs on our show. You can find him
online at www dot Darrencurtis music dot com. Make sure to check us out
on social media. You can find us on Facebook at Active Shooter the Podcast
and on Twitter at podcast Active. Thank you and be safe.