Maine shooting: Father-of-four and 14-year-old boy among victims

Published

1 year ago

October 28, 2023

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The 18 people who were killed in a mass shooting in the US state of Maine have been named by officials.

The suspect, Robert Card, is believed to have killed seven people at Just-In-Time Recreation, and a further eight people at Schemengees Bar and Grille.

Three more people died after being taken to local hospitals.

Among the dead are a father and son, a volunteer bowling coach and a manager at the bar, which the suspect is reported to have visited before.

All of the victims were named by public safety commissioner Mike Sauschuck during a press conference on Friday. Some had earlier been publicly identified by friends and relatives.

Joseph ‘Joey’ Walker, 57

Mr Walker was an employee at Schemengees Bar and Grille who lived in nearby Auburn, Maine.

His father, Leroy Walker, told NBC News he was a beloved husband, father and grandfather who was helping to raise two grandchildren and a stepson.

He described his son as being close to family, having lived near two of his brothers.

He regularly organised fundraisers for local causes and had been planning a cornhole tournament to help veterans when he was shot and killed.

Cornhole is a lawn game popular in North America in which players or teams take turns throwing fabric bean bags at a raised, angled board with a hole in its far end.

Although he did not personally know the suspect, Mr Walker said his son had seen Card in the bar before the shooting.

Bob and Lucille Violette, 76 and 73

As a retiree, Mr Violette volunteered as a coach of a youth bowling league team. He was with the youth league at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley when the shooting happened.

Mrs Violette, 73, was also killed.

Tricia Asselin, 53

The 53-year-old mother worked at the bowling alley part-time, but was there on a night out with her sister at the time of the incident.

At the time, she was trying to call 911 when the gunman shot and killed her, Ms Asselin’s brother told CNN. Her sister survived the attack.

“She wasn’t going to run,” Mr Johnson said. “She was going to try and help.”

Michael Deslauriers II and Jason Walker, both 51

Writing on social media, Mr Deslauriers’s father confirmed his son and his son’s friend, Mr Walker, were shot and killed at the bowling alley.

Michael Deslauriers Sr, chairman of a local historical society, said his son and his friend died while protecting their wives and young children who were also present.

“I have the hardest news for a father to ever have to share,” he said.

“They made sure their wives and several young children were under cover then they charged the shooter.”

It is believed the two men were volunteers at the historical society.

Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40

Mr Brewer-Ross was also taking part in a cornhole tournament at Schemengees Bar and Grille when he was killed, his brother Ralph Brewer told CNN.

His brother said he loved playing cornhole and enjoyed hanging out with friends at the venue.

“It’s just surreal and sad. Now my brother is not here anymore along with 17 other people,” he said.

“He is the nicest person you would ever meet. He never had a bad thing to say about anyone.”

He said his brother “loved being a dad more than anything else”, and recently celebrated his daughter Elle’s second birthday.

“At two years old, she isn’t going to remember any of this, but in the same breath, she isn’t going to have her dad be there the rest of her life,” he said.

He added: “We are walking around in a daze not knowing what to say, what to do, or how to act, because of a senseless shooting. “It’s so unbelievable that this can continue to happen over and over again and nothing changes.”

Bill and Aaron Young, 44 and 14

The father and son – who was aged just 14 – were killed at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, where they had been on a night out with their bowling league. This is according to Mr Young’s brother, Rob.

Before learning about their deaths, he had flown from Baltimore to Lewiston in Maine to help his sister-in-law find any information about the pair, who she had not heard from since they went to the bowling alley.

Bryan MacFarlane, 41

He was part of a group from the deaf community, taking part in a cornhole tournament at Schemengees Bar & Grille when he was killed, his sister Keri Brooks told CNN.

He was an avid motorcyclist who loved his dog, M&M, and had recently moved back to Maine, she said.

Joshua Seal, 36

The father-of-four was confirmed dead by his wife Elizabeth Seal in a Facebook post.

She described him as the “world’s best father” and a “wonderful husband”, and also her “best friend” and “soulmate”.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share with you all that Joshua Seal has passed away… no, he was murdered, in the 10/25 shooting in Lewiston. It still feels surreal,” she wrote.

Referring to their children, she said Mr Seal “loved spending time with them, travelling, going for a day trip to the beach, or going camping for the weekend”.

“He loved his family and always put them first. That is what he will always be remembered for. We love and miss you so so much already,” she added.

The other victims named by officials were:

William ‘Billy’ Brackett, 48

Thomas Conrad, 34

Maxx Hathaway, 35

Keith Macneir, 64

Ronald Morin, 55

Arthur Strout, 42

Stephen Vozzella, 45

US

Donald Trump can seek dismissal of hush money case as sentencing postponed

Published

2 days ago

November 22, 2024

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Donald Trump can seek dismissal of hush money case as sentencing postponed

A judge has postponed sentencing in Donald Trump’s hush money case and granted permission for his lawyers to seek a dismissal.

It comes after the Manhattan district attorney said he wouldn’t oppose a motion to delay the sentencing.

In May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to commit election fraud.

It was the first time a US president had been convicted of or charged with a criminal offence.

Trump had tried to cover up “hush money” payments to a porn star in the days before the 2016 election.

When Stormy Daniels‘ claims of a sexual liaison threatened to upend his presidential campaign, Trump directed his lawyer to pay $130,000 (£102,000) to keep her quiet.

The payment buried the story and he later won the presidency.

Trump denied the charges and said the case was politically motivated. He also denied the sexual encounter took place.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan today delayed the sentencing, which had been due to take place on Tuesday.

The office of district attorney Alvin Bragg had asked the judge to postpone all proceedings until Trump finishes his four-year presidency, which starts on 20 January.

Trump’s lawyers say the case should be dismissed because it will create “unconstitutional impediments” to his ability to govern.

Responding to Friday’s decision, a Trump campaign spokesman said: “The American People have issued a mandate to return him to office and dispose of all remnants of the Witch Hunt cases.”

The judge set a 2 December deadline for Trump’s lawyers to file their motion, while prosecutors have until 9 December to respond.

He did not set a new date for sentencing or indicate when he would rule on any motion to throw out the case.

Even before Trump’s win in this month’s election, experts said a jail term was unlikely and a fine or probation more probable.

But his resounding victory over Kamala Harris made the prospect of time behind bars or probation even less likely.

Trump, 78, was also charged last year in three other cases.

One involved him keeping classified documents after he left office and the other two centre on alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

A Florida judge dismissed the documents case in July, the Georgia election case is in limbo, and the Justice Department is expected to wind down the federal election case as it has a policy of not prosecuting a sitting president.

Trump last week nominated his lawyers in the hush money case, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, for senior roles in the Justice department.

When he re-enters the White House, Trump will also have the power to shut down the Georgia and New York cases.

US

Pam Bondi: Key proponent of Trump’s false 2020 election claims set to head justice department after Gaetz withdrawal

Published

2 days ago

November 22, 2024

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Pam Bondi: Key proponent of Trump's false 2020 election claims set to head justice department after Gaetz withdrawal

Donald Trump has pledged for years to surround himself with ultra-loyalists who can mould his government to his vision without barriers.

That’s precisely why he picked Matt Gaetz. Now he’s out, Pam Bondi is in and she’s equally loyal.

Gaetz was uniquely unpopular on Capitol Hill but ultra-MAGA and ultra-loyal to the president-elect.

He was chosen by the president-elect to do his bidding inside the Justice Department as attorney general.

Critics called his pick “a red alert moment for democracy” and the man a “gonzo agent of chaos” – language that would surely only affirm Trump’s decision in his own proudly disruptive mind.

If it wasn’t for the fact that the president-elect is himself a convicted felon, and a man found liable in a civil court of his own sexual offences, the prospect of Gaetz, with all his baggage, making it through the nomination process would have seemed remote.

But Donald Trump’s return to the White House suggested anything is possible.

And so, beyond his loyalty, Gaetz was Trump’s test for his foot soldiers on Capitol Hill. How loyal were they? Would they wave through anyone he appointed?

It turns out that Gaetz, and the storm around his private life, was too much for a proportion of them.

At least five Senate Republicans were flatly against Matt Gaetz’s confirmation. We understand that they communicated to other senators and those close to Trump that they were unlikely to be swayed.

They included the Republican old guard like Senator Mitch McConnell.

Beyond the hard “no” senators, there were between 20 and 30 other Republicans who were very uncomfortable about having to vote for Gaetz on the Senate floor.

The key question is whether Gaetz was Trump’s intentional wild card crazy choice that he knew, deep down, would probably never fly.

Was Gaetz the candidate he had accepted would be vetoed by senators – who would then feel compelled to wave the rest of his nominees through?

Will Pete Hegseth’s alleged sexual impropriety concern them as they consider the suitability of the former Fox News host and army major to run the Department of Defence?

What about Tulsi Gabbard, the candidate Russian state TV calls ‘our girl’, and the appropriateness of her running America’s intelligence agencies?

These are all appointments that the politicians on Capitol Hill must consider and confirm in the weeks ahead.

We don’t yet know who Trump will choose to direct the FBI.

There are some names being floated which will make the establishment of Washington shudder but then that’s precisely why Trump was elected. He is the disrupter. He said so at every rally, on repeat.

He was quick to pivot to another name to replace Gaetz.

Bondi is the former attorney general of Florida. Professionally she is in a different league to Gaetz. She’s been a tough prosecutor, with a no-nonsense reputation.

She is also among the most loyal of loyalists. Her attachment to Trump stretches way back.

I first came across her in Philadelphia in November 2020 when she was among Trump surrogates claiming the election back then had been stolen from them by Joe Biden and the Democrats.

She was a key proponent of the false claims the election had been rigged and Trump was the rightful winner.

The court cases concluding that was all nonsense didn’t seem to convince her.

Now she is poised to head up the Department of Justice as the country’s top law enforcement official.

US

Donald Trump on day one: Pace of change ‘like nothing you’ve seen in history’, warns campaign official

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

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Within hours of taking office, president-elect Donald Trump plans to begin rolling out policies including large-scale deportations, according to his transition team.

Sky News partner network NBC News has spoken with more than half a dozen people familiar with the executive orders that his team plans to enact.

One campaign official said changes are expected at a pace that is “like nothing you’ve seen in history”, to signal a dramatic break from President Joe Biden’s administration.

Mr Trump is preparing on day one to overturn specific policies put in place by Mr Biden. Among the measures, reported by sources close to the transition team, are:

• The speedy and large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants

• Ending travel reimbursement for military members seeking abortion care

• Restricting transgender service members’ access to gender-affirming care

But much of the first day is likely to focus on stopping illegal immigration – the centrepiece of Trump’s candidacy. He is expected to sign up to five executive orders aimed at dealing with that issue alone after he is sworn in on 20 January.

“There will without question be a lot of movement quickly, likely day one, on the immigration front,” a top Trump ally said.

“There will be a push to make a huge early show and assert himself to show his campaign promises were not hollow.”

But Mr Trump’s campaign pledges also could be difficult to implement.

Deporting people on the scale he wants will be a logistical challenge that could take years. Questions also remain about promised tax cuts.

Meanwhile, his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in just 24 hours would be near impossible.

Even so, advisers based at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort or at nearby offices in West Palm Beach, Florida, are reportedly strategising about ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Following his decisive victory on 5 November, the president-elect has moved swiftly to build a cabinet and senior White House team.

As of Thursday, he had selected more than 30 people for senior positions in his administration, compared with just three at a similar point in his 2016 transition.

Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser in Mr Trump’s campaign, told NBC News: “The thing to realise is Trump is no dummy.

“He knows he’s got two to three years at most to get anything done. And then he becomes a lame duck and we start talking about [the presidential election in] 2028.”