Response to mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine

Reflection, Accountability, and the Path Forward for Maine

Senseless tragedies like the mass shooting in Lewiston force all of us to pause — to reflect on our lives, our families, and the kind of world we want to live in. These moments demand more than just thoughts and prayers. They demand honesty. They demand action. And above all, they demand accountability.

We all reflect in our own way. But for those in leadership, reflection must go hand-in-hand with responsibility. What failed? What can be fixed? And what can we do to ensure something like this never happens again?

There are those who immediately call for sweeping gun bans. But I believe that approach is short-sighted. Reacting to an illegal act by removing the rights of law-abiding citizens is not the answer. It’s a dangerous path that threatens the very freedoms our country was built on — and it does nothing to address the root causes of these tragedies.

But that doesn’t mean we do nothing. Far from it.

When we take a hard look at what happened, we see serious flaws in the system. The shooter chose “gun-free zones” for a reason — because he knew people there would be defenseless. That should make every one of us think twice about how effective those zones truly are. We need to revisit our “gun-free zone” laws and ask: Are they protecting us, or making us easier targets?

One possible solution? A specialized certification for trained individuals — like teachers — to legally carry in gun-free zones. This isn’t about turning every classroom into a battleground. It’s about allowing those who choose to be trained and certified the right to protect themselves and others.

We also need to ask how a man who openly admitted to hearing voices urging him to kill was released after just two weeks in a mental health facility — and allowed to retain his firearms. That’s not a gun issue. That’s a systems failure. And our leaders must find out how it happened and fix it — immediately.

In 2024, the Maine Legislature must act — not to score political points, but to repair what’s broken. And when they do, they must be transparent with the public about the changes they make.

Let’s be clear: this is not the only failure of our state government. Whether it’s the 100-megawatt cap on electricity, bloated spending, unaffordable housing regulations, or misguided green energy subsidies — it all adds up to higher costs and heavier burdens on hardworking Mainers. The spike in economic stress is adding fuel to a growing mental health crisis.

On top of that, our laws have weakened school discipline and softened criminal consequences — creating a system where lawbreakers are emboldened and everyday citizens feel unsafe.

We can’t afford to ignore this anymore.