President Biden visits Maine to pay respects to '18 precious souls stolen'

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited Lewiston, Maine, on Friday afternoon in the wake of last week's mass shootings that left 18 dead and 13 injured.

They went to the Just-In-Time bowling alley and Schemenges Bar and Grill – the two sites of the shootings nine days ago. Along for the visit were much of Maine's congressional delegation and Gov. Janet Mills.

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"Eighteen precious souls stolen, 13 wounded," Biden said in a speech, noting that "all of them lived lives of love and service and sacrifice."

He called for "common sense, reasonable and responsible measures to protect our children, our families, our communities" from gun violence, repeating a refrain he and other presidents have called for in the wake of other mass shootings.

While he said compromise is possible, Biden didn't go into specifics about what kind he was seeking.

Outside of Schemengees, the president and first lady laid a bouquet of flowers at a large memorial that included more flowers, candles, images, pumpkins and messages. Nearby was a sign that read, "Fix the mental health system." They stood for a moment of silence before bending over to hug bar owner Kathy Lebel.

Mills, Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and Rep. Chellie Pingree spoke after Biden, thanking the Bidens for coming to the grieving community and to shine a light on the first responders.

"We take comfort and solace in knowing that the entire nation stands with Lewiston and with Maine," Mills said. "We feel the warmth of your visit and the strength of your unwavering support for our state, and we see love and support in our future, as difficult as that may be."

After his speech, Biden met privately with families who lost loved ones.

The father of Schemengees manager Joe Walker, who was killed in the shooting there, said the meeting was a small chance to keep his son's memory alive.

"I'm hoping that I can think clearly and not get upset over where we are and why we're here, but he's supposed to be the most powerful man that we have sitting in that position, Leroy Walker said before speaking with the president. "I'm hoping that he uses his power to help us."

Joe Walker's mother stayed home, telling NBC10 Boston it was "way too hard."

Other members of the public expressed a mix of gratitude and grief.

"I think everybody's opinion is we never thought this would happen in such a small place," said Miranda Ferris of Lewiston.

"He knew there was a lot of pain and heartache here, and he said he was sorry," Lewiston resident Kathy Lebel said of Biden.

Several thousand people attended vigils for the victims over the weekend, and residents started returning to work and school on Monday after stay-at-home orders were lifted.

The White House said the Bidens were traveling to Maine to spend time with the family members of the victims, community members and first responders personally impacted by the tragic events of last week.

Biden had already directed the federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention to work closely with the Lewiston community to provide support and coordinate resources, including extensive victims’ services. Some of those services include specific help for veterans, as well as the deaf and hearing-impaired community uniquely impacted by these shootings.

The White House also plans to deploy experts from the newly created Mass Shooting Victimization Resource Center.

People who live and work in this community say the President’s visit is symbolic of the entire nation’s support and love for this community in their time of immense grief.

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Donna Kelley, who works nearby said, “I think it’s wonderful that the president feels drawn to come here and just support our community and to have the first lady here as well. Just to have them both want to be here and let their feelings be known and support us, I think it will mean a lot to the families who are affected by all of this.”

The White House released a statement ahead of the president's visit, saying in part, “Recovering from this attack will be long and difficult, and President Biden is committed to marshaling resources from across the federal government to support Lewiston every step of the way. He will also continue to be relentless in doing everything in his power to stop the epidemic of gun violence tearing our communities apart and urging Congress to act on commonsense gun safety legislation.”

The president has visited many communities scarred by mass shootings. He's been to Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; Monterey Park, California just in roughly the past year.

“There are too many other schools, too many other everyday places that have become killing fields, battlefields here in America,” Biden said during a speech on gun violence last year.

As of Friday, there have been at least 37 mass killings in the U.S. so far in 2023, leaving at least 195 people dead, not including shooters who died, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills said she felt Biden’s arrival in the city would be significant because it shows the country is grieving with Maine, and that the state has the president’s support.

“By visiting us in our time of need, the president and first lady are making clear that the entire nation stands with Lewiston and with Maine — and for that I am profoundly grateful,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.