Medical staff at Central Maine Medical Center lined the hallways to celebrate the release of another victim from last month’s Lewiston mass shooting. This release leaves only two of the wounded still in the hospital.
The patient, who was not identified, was honored with a silent tribute by doctors, nurses, and team members after a two-and-a-half week stay in the Lewiston hospital. The shooting on Oct. 25 resulted in the deaths of 18 people and injuries to 13 others, marking the deadliest shooting in the state’s history.
Kris Chaisson, the chief nursing officer, stated, “The hospital staff wanted to acknowledge this milestone, while at the same time remain mindful that this patient, and many of us, have a long road ahead.”
The patient’s departure on Monday means that there are now two patients, both in stable condition, at Central Maine Medical Center, according to an official.
Most of the injured individuals were taken to Central Maine Medical Center, while one each went to other hospitals in Lewiston, Portland, and Boston.
The remaining survivors, including 16-year-old Gavin Robitaille of Auburn, Maine, have been discharged from the hospitals. Robitaille left Mass General for Children in Boston a week ago, as confirmed by an official.
Robitaille’s family expressed their gratitude to the medical teams for “saving Gavin and seeing all of us through our darkest moments” in a statement released on Wednesday.
The mass shooting at a bowling alley and a bar prompted Central Maine Medical Center to go on lockdown and led to tens of thousands of residents being urged to shelter in place. The body of the gunman, 40-year-old Army reservist Robert Card, was found two days later, with an autopsy indicating that he died by suicide.
An independent commission, established to review all aspects of the tragedy, including the failure to act upon warning signs of Card’s mental health crisis, will convene for the first time on Monday.
The commission, created by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, aims to get organized and discuss the path forward in determining the facts that led to the tragedy and the law enforcement response during the upcoming meeting.
