Family members have identified some of the victims that were killed after a string of shootings in Maine on Wednesday.
Among them are Bob Violette, a 76-year-old retiree and avid bowler, and bar manager Joseph Walker. Officials said at least 18 have died, and more than a dozen were injured.
Eight of the deceased have been identified so far, police said, but their names have not been released. Some family members have since spoken to several media outlets about their loved ones.
Bob Violette, 76
Violette was identified by his daughter-in-law Cassandra. She told the Lewiston Sun Journal that he died protecting a group of children that he was with at the Just-In-Time bowling alley. He leaves behind three sons and six grandchildren, she said. His wife, Lucy, was injured in the attack.
Cassandra described Violette as a life-long Lewiston resident who had deep ties to the community, and who made people around him feel cared for.
“He wouldn't let you walk out the door without giving him a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. He was just there for everything,” she said.
A former Sears mechanic, Violette devoted his time to bowling in his retirement.
He began running a youth bowling league many years ago, his daughter-in-law said, and even got his eldest grandsons to participate in the game. He saved up to buy new iPads and iPhones to get good videos of them bowling, Cassandra said.
“He loved those kids, all of them,” she said.
Tricia Asselin, 53
Asselin's brother confirmed to CNN that she was among the victims. She was at her part-time job at the bowling alley, he said, when the gunman opened fire.
“When it all started happening, she ran up to the counter and started to call 911, and that's when she was shot,” DJ Johnson told CNN.
“That was just her. She wasn't going to run. She was going to try and help,” he said. Mr Johnson described her as his “baby sister”, and said that Asselin's adult son is devastated by her death.
“From the day he was born to yesterday. She did everything for him … he was her world,” he said. His other sister was also at the bowling alley, Mr Johnson said, but she was able to escape.
Michael Deslauriers
Stacey Deslauriers told the Washington Post that she was driving when she received news of Michael's death. He was her ex-husband of 14 years and the father of her adult children. He was shot and killed at the bowling alley.
“He was an amazing man,” she said. “An amazing father. An amazing provider.”
She said that Michael's girlfriend, who was with him during the shooting, told her that he tried to fight back the gunman. This, Ms Deslauriers said, did not surprise her.
“He was a hero,” she said. “Truly a hero.”
Joseph Walker, 56
Walker's death was confirmed by father, Leroy Walker, who is a city councillor in Auburn. His son worked at Schemengees Bar and Grill, one of the locations where the gunman opened fire. He was killed after attempting to go after the gunman, Leroy told ABC News.
In a separate interview with NBC News, Leroy said he received notification of his son's death 14 hours after the shooting.
“None of us slept, we were up all night,” he said. “We didn't know where to go, who to run to.” Police are still searching for the suspected gunman as of Thursday afternoon.
— CutC by bbc.com
