Maine Mass Shooting Memorials to be Preserved in Museum

Over 1,000 Items Removed from Sites of Tragedy as Community Continues Healing Process

Over 1,000 mementos from the sites of the deadliest mass shooting in Maine's history, including handwritten signs, cards, and a stuffed moose, have been removed for preservation and display at a museum in Lewiston.
The removal of the items, which began on Tuesday, marks a change in season and a new chapter in the area's recovery, with the community continuing to heal and grieve after 18 people were killed and 13 injured on October 25.
The memorials included sculptures of hands depicting the American Sign Language symbol for 'love', a tribute to four members of the local deaf community who died in the shooting.
The items were removed from three sites: the bowling alley and the bar where the shootings took place, and a busy street corner that became an impromptu memorial.
The goal for the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor is to catalogue the items quickly so they'll become accessible to the community, with some of the flowers being dried and some pumpkins being scanned and 3D-printed for display.