Survivors of Lewiston mass shootings recount fear, panic and anger to commission
By WMTW Staff
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LEWISTON, Maine (WMTW) — The commission conducting an independent investigation of the mass shootings in Lewiston heard directly from survivors on Monday.
At 9 a.m., the commission hosted a public meeting at Lewiston’s City Council chambers.
During Monday’s hearing, survivors shared their experiences from Oct. 25. Many discussed their fight or flight responses as they watched a gunman shoot at them, their friends or their family.
Mike Roderick was at Shemengees Bar and Grille with his son when Robert Card walked in.
“Shots continues to ring out. It didn’t seem like they would every stop – pop, pop, pop,” Roderick said. “I will never for the rest of my life get the vision out of my head of seeing my 18-year-old son hiding behind a 3-foot half wall scared for his life as the shooter was murdering our friends in front of our eyes.”
Bobbi Nichols spoke of her sister Tricia Asselin. Tricia was one of the eighteen people who were killed.
“It’s really rough, you know? I miss my sister. She was everything to me, she was my friend – my little sister. She was a good person,” Nichols said.
Tammy Asselin, Tricia’s cousin, was at Just in Time Bowling with her 11-year-old daughter. The pair managed to escape.
“I couldn’t wrap my head around what was truly happening. In all my years talking about what to do in emergencies, I remember the flight or fight, but I never heard of freeze. Sadly I froze and stood there way too long watching And still not completely believing what I was seeing,” Tammy Asselin said. “As a mom, you never want a parent to go through what I went through.”
A survivor named Chris spoke through an interpreter. He described being at Schemengees with eight of his friends playing cornhole on the day of the shooting.
“I could see my friends army crawling across the floor – and (Robert Card) walked right up to them and shot them. Lots of times. It looked like he was about to turn to me when his gun got jammed,” Chris explained. He described running past Card.
Chris discussed calling his friends to tell them about what had occurred at Schemengees, and in turn learning about the shooting at the bowling alley.
“I saw the bullets coming out of the gun. I could see the flashes in the muzzle, I could see people falling,” Kyle Curtis said through an interpreter. Curtis was also in Schemengees Bar & Grille.
“I was just kind of in shock. I couldn’t see any of my deaf friends anywhere. No one was coming out and that scared me. I could only see hearing people,” Curtis said. Curtis, who had been hit by a fragment, discussed following those who could hear to the police. A friend helped him interpret.
Curtis recalled being given a video interpreter at the hospital and the frustration that followed. “They switched interpreters six different times to get someone to understand me.”
The commission said they will pursue the issues with the VRI machine.
Destiny Johnson told the commission she played a round a golf with her friends before heading to Schemengees. Johnson said she parked on a curb near the entrance at the side of the building then sat at a space facing the door. She described watching Robert Card walking in.
“With no expression on his face, he looked up into the air, did something to the gun and fired up to the ceiling,” Destiny said he did this three times, before hearing someone say ‘get down.’
“Unfortunately the systems and policies in Maine failed all of us. The policies put in place now are now allowing us Mainers to step into a gun free zone like Schemengees,” Johnson said.
The most recent meeting was on Feb. 15, during which Maine State Police testified on their own involvement and process during the three-day search for the shooter.
During the mid-February meeting, the commission asked state police officials where they thought there was room for improvement. Major Lucas Hare spoke about “self-dispatching,” which he saw happening as a result of having hundreds of law enforcement officers in the area. “People will hear of something on the radio, and they rush to help,” he said.
“Sometimes that’s what we want, but there are also times that makes the commanding control and the decision-making process, the searching very difficult,” Major Hare said at the time.
Documents and body camera videos recently released to WMTW by New York State Police also provided insight into their encounters with the man who would carry out the shootings last summer.
The commission, having been granted subpoena power by Gov. Janet Mills, has invited the U.S. Army to attend a meeting set for March 7.
Maine’s Total Coverage will be live during the meeting between the commission and Army.
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