The morning of Thursday, October 26, 2023 felt dreary, yet off to some. Buildings, schools throughout Lewiston and surrounding areas were all on lockdown. Some could recount how the roads were eerily empty. Stores were closed down, and in towns as far south as Kittery, businesses opened later. Many schools around the state also closed down, and people stayed home or worked remotely. Despite the sun shining behind a thin layer of clouds earlier in the morning, a bleak, dreary mood hung low as few Mainers commuted through it. All of this was a result of the shootings that took place the night before in the small city of Lewiston. Throughout the nation, people were thinking about the tragic event that occurred. In the days that followed, New England Sports Teams such as the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and the New England Patriots remembered the events that occurred the night before. Students at Kennebunk High have shared reflections on the Lewiston mass shootings and I collected their responses.

What do you think the government should do about firearms and mental health, regarding the events that occurred in Lewiston? Thoughts on it?

“Restrict firearms to people who have mental health issues, work on the mental health and learn a lot, especially.”

“I think it was the hospital’s fault. He said he was hearing voices in his head, told a lot of people that he was having issues. We should put more money into mental health. If we ban guns, bad guys will still get them. It will be chaos. The more guns we have, the less chance someone with shoot up a place. If there were a hundred people with guns in a bank and someone attempted to rob that bank, the people who have the guns can point them at the robber. Reinforce background checks. Help people who have mental health crises by giving them medication. That guy, the shooter was one flashback away from doing worse.”

“Ban assault weapons.” 

“Ban ARs.”

“Ban all guns.”

“Make more restrictions.”

“Limit gun use, look at how people acquire firearms and place in more background checks. It’s partially the government’s fault for what this guy did, considering how no one did anything to stop him. Help men with mental health, focus more on men’s health than we already do.”

“Make military grade firearms. Teach teachers how to use guns, teach people about mental health, put out more programs for mental health.”

“No reason to have military grade weapons. There’s no reason for people, especially people with mental health history and issues, to have firearms that can kill a lot of people in a short amount of time.”

“The government does nothing, this is a cycle. After the shooting, it’s in the news and discussed for a week or two. Then, the government says that they’ll do something. It all goes away and then comes back again.”

“The government doesn’t care about Maine because we’re state with little population.”

“Don’t sell assault rifles to the public- ban them; hunting rifles are acceptable, we need better background checks.”

“Better gun control, more and better regulations.”

“Restrict firearm access to people with mental health issues”

“I think it’s more of a mental health problem than it is a firearm’s issue.”

“After you purchase a gun, get background checks. If there is a MH issue, the firearm should be taken until the crisis is over.”

“More regulations and background checks. Check in on people who have mental health issues, spread awareness to Mental Health.”

“Take firearms from those who have MH issues”

“Better background checks. Use security measures and check in on those who have guns and are mentally unstable.”

“I want everyone in this school to have a firearm and be able to protect ourselves”

“More testing about mental health so that people with MH issues don’t get guns.”

“Stronger background checks”

“Increase gun safety laws, not restrict them. Increase the education of guns.”

“Get rid of all the firearm, we don’t need them, right?”

“It’s a cultural thing in our country. It’s a cultural battle we have against ourselves. Guns are a big part of American culture, it’d be hard to restrict them. With the guns, we’re at a point that Americans would always be able to defend themselves even with restrictions. The idea of a Second Amendment is that people— citizens should be able to protect themselves.”

“Better gun control laws, especially towards people with Mental Health issues.”

“Safety should be prioritized, I believe in gun rights, but as well as gun safety– regulation makes sense to me.”

“More mental health background checks. The checks should be frequent and the government should ban assault rifles.” 

“Nationwide requirements, not state by state laws.”

“There needs to be gun control. People should not be able to get guns– I don’t see the point. A pistol is one thing but an AR15 is not necessary.”