Maine Bowling Alley Reopens 6 Months After Mass Shooting: 'The Community Has Been Phenomenal'

The Lewiston, Maine, bowling alley where a mass shooting occurred in October has reopened, reports the Associated Press, The Washington Post and New York Daily News.

Justin and Samantha Juray, owners of Just-In-Time Recreation, opened the doors of the venue on Friday, May 3, six months after the state’s deadliest shooting that killed 18 people and injured 13. 

Gunman Robert Card killed eight people at the Jurays’ bowling alley and then drove to a nearby bar, Schemengees Bar and Grille, and killed 10 more people. He later died by suicide. 

“It’s never going to leave my head,” Samantha, 34, said, per AP. “I think if we don’t move forward — not that there was a point to this whole thing anyway — but we’re just going to allow the people that have taken so much from us win.”

Still, Justin, 43, said he was hesitant about reopening the bowling alley —that was until the Lewiston community supported the pair.

Kathy Lebel, owner of Schemengees Bar & Grille, also hopes to reopen her establishment but at a different location.

Several patrons attended the reopening, including people like Colin, who was at the bowling alley the night of the mass shooting. Colin went to Friday’s event with his mother and father, John Robinson.

“I can’t say how great this day is,” Robinson said, per AP. “An opportunity to celebrate their lives. To celebrate the rebirth of Just-In-Time.”

Employee Tom Giberti also told the outlet that people are “so excited to get us back.”

“The community has been phenomenal,” he said. “They’ve been right here for us, they’ve been supporting us.”

Giberti, 70, is one of the heroic community members who saved the lives of at least four children that day. Before he could get himself to safety, he took the children between the lanes to an area behind the bowling pins. 

He was shot in both legs a total of five times and hit with shrapnel. He underwent surgery and now shows very few signs of his injuries, according to AP.

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Among the eight people who were killed were two Just-In-Time staff members. A majority of the staff have returned to work.

The bowling alley honored those who died by displaying photos of the eight people who lost their lives at Just-In-Time, and bowling pins with the names of the 18 shooting victims behind the front desk.

Additionally, the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America gave the venue a new scoring system, new automatic bumpers, and gutters. It also provided a seasoned expert who fixes bowling machines to spend a week at the site, per The Washington Post.

There was also a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday afternoon, with Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline celebrating the reopening. “This is us, standing back up again,” said Sheline. “With all of you here, it’s very clear. Lewiston can never be kept down.”

“You’re the reason,” Justin added. “This is why. This is why we decided to reopen.”