AUGUSTA, Maine — Lawmakers are trying to give more than $3 million in state funding to the Maine Resiliency Center that continues serving those affected by the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston that was the state’s deadliest on record.
But additional federal dollars that could help keep the center located in Lewiston up and running have not yet been released by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, put forward the bill cosponsored by numerous Democrats and Republicans to give nearly give nearly $1.1 million this year and almost $2.3 million next year to support the “continuation and expansion of services” the center has offered since the Oct. 25, 2023, shooting at a Lewiston bowling alley and bar that left 18 dead and 13 injured.
Rotundo and Maine Resiliency Center Director Danielle Parent noted the “low-barrier” center on Lewiston’s Main Street is open to all, including those without insurance, and has served more than 600 people from around 60 communities in the state.
Those services have focused on helping those still suffering from trauma associated with the shooting that a 40-year-old Army reservist carried out before police found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days later. Center staff have also served those affected by other acts of violence and traumatic incidents, its leaders and supporters testified Wednesday during a public hearing before the Legislature’s health committee.
Although bipartisan support exists for the state funding, the center is awaiting word on roughly $8 million in federal funds that Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey’s office applied for in February, according to Parent. The federal money would go toward a victim compensation fund and to the center, Parent said in an interview Wednesday.
It typically takes two to three weeks to receive a response on the grant application, but Parent said the Trump administration has not shared an update. The resiliency center otherwise only has enough money from donors to cover three more months of operational expenses, Parent said.
The U.S. Department of Justice, which administers the federal grant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Spokespeople for Maine’s members of Congress said Wednesday they are aware of the issue and have contacted the Justice Department.
Frey spokesperson Danna Hayes said Wednesday the office did not have more information.
Survivors, family members of victims, law enforcement officers and first responders are among those who have received trauma-informed care from center staff. Rotundo listed several examples of how the center has supported people since 2023, such as a 7-year-old child who was at Just-In-Time Recreation the night of the shooting and still struggles with the sound of classmates opening bags of chips. She said a brother of a victim also told her to tell lawmakers how the center “saved me,” drawing out the words for emphasis.
Lewiston officials, family members of victims and survivors gave emotional testimony Wednesday about how many still struggle 18 months after the shooting with post-traumatic stress disorder, fear and “hypervigilance.” Justin Juray, who co-owns Just-In-Time Recreation with his wife, Samantha, testified in support of the funding by adding the center’s staff were “critical” in helping them reopen their bowling alley about six months after the shooting.
Elizabeth Seal, whose husband, Joshua, was among the numerous deaf victims, said the center “combats that isolation” felt amid grief. Lewiston Police Chief David St. Pierre and the Maine Chiefs of Police Association are also in favor of the funding for serving those in need.
“They need to be able to heal and be able to live happier and more productive lives,” Rotundo said.
