Lewiston's mass shooting deals devastating blow to deaf and hard of hearing community

The shock and anguish from the mass shooting in Lewiston that killed 18 people and injured 13 others continues to ripple across Maine. And the deaf and hard of hearing community is experiencing those feelings acutely.

Four of the eight men killed at a bar and billiards hall were gunned down in what it appears to be the worst mass shooting of deaf people in U.S. history.

On Wednesday night, Steve Vozzella, Brian MacFarlane, Billy Brackett and Joshua Seal went to Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston to play in a cornhole tournament for the deaf.

They were avid players, but more than that, the tournament was a gathering for members of a deaf and hard of hearing community that often relies on one another to stay connected.

In many ways, Seal was the conduit for those connections, especially during times of crisis.

"For so many in the deaf community in Maine, Josh was the voice of COVID and the face of COVID," said former Maine Center for Disease Control director Dr. Nirav Shah, who is now the deputy director at the U.S. CDC.

Shah worked alongside Seal for almost two full years during the pandemic. Seal, an American Sign Language interpreter, had been brought in to communicate the latest updates on the virus and vaccines to people who needed to hear them, but often can't.

His translations of MRNA, monoclonal antibodies and other pandemic vernacular were high energy and helped make him a star among the deaf and hard of hearing.

But then Wednesday night happened.

"Here today, went to a cornhole tournament with his community, and then he was gone," Shah said. "That's really tough to get your head around."