With permission of the Lewiston shooting victims' families, police have now released the names and photos of all 18 people killed in two separate attacks Wednesday night. They range in age from a 14-year-old boy to a 76-year-old grandfather and his 73-year-old wife. And the losses are being felt not just by family and friends but by members of law enforcement.
For first responders who reside in the tight-knit cities of Lewiston and Auburn, it's not just the brutality of the shootings that makes handling the two crime scenes difficult, it's the fact that they know some of the victims or their families.
"Seeing these pictures come up on the board, I know a couple of them myself," said Lewiston Police Chief David St. Pierre, speaking at a news conference Friday with the photos of the victims on a screen behind him.
St. Pierre said he's not alone.
"There are many law enforcement officials that I know know some of these victims and it's certainly very challenging," he said.
Challenging, he said, to go into a situation objectively and do a thorough job knowing that you know this person or a family member or a friend. Local businesses have made a point of posting messages of support for law enforcement and for the entire community.
