On the evening of October 25, 2023, Michael R. Deslauriers, a 51-year-old White male, was at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, with his partner and friends. What began as a typical league night turned into a scene of terror when a gunman entered and opened fire. Deslauriers, a network engineer from Sabattus, was bowling with his lifelong friend, Jason Walker, when the assailant's rifle jammed after firing the first shot.
Seizing the moment, Deslauriers and
Walker acted without hesitation. They made sure their wives and the children present were safe before they both charged toward the shooter in an attempt to disarm him. As they ran towards the gunman, he managed to clear the jam. Walker was shot first, and as he fell, Deslauriers continued his advance, rushing at the assailant with his arms outstretched. The gunman retreated slightly and shot Deslauriers twice. Both Deslauriers and Walker were pronounced dead at the scene.
The assailant, identified as 40-year-old Robert Card, continued his deadly rampage inside the bowling alley, killing five more people before driving to Schemengees Bar & Grille, where he killed ten others. In total, 18 people lost their lives and 13 were injured in the deadliest mass shooting in Maine's history.
An extensive manhunt for Card was launched, involving hundreds of law enforcement officers. An arrest warrant was issued for him on multiple counts of murder. For two days, the community remained on edge as the search continued. On October 27, Card was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a tractor-trailer at a recycling center where he had previously worked, bringing the search to a somber end.
