Memorials to victims of Maine's deadliest mass shootings to be displayed at museum

Volunteers and city workers have removed mementos, signs and other items that accumulated at the sites of the deadliest shootings in Maine history

LEWISTON, Maine -- Volunteers and city workers on Tuesday removed mementos, signs and other items that accumulated at the sites of the deadliest shootings in Maine history, reflecting a change in season and a new chapter in the area's recovery.

The handwritten signs, cards, bouquets and other items — more than a 1,000 of them — will be archived, catalogued and prepared for exhibition at a museum in Lewiston.

Part of the process is practical: Snowfall makes it imperative to remove the memorials before they're destroyed by either the elements or plows. But organizers also say it feels like the right time as communities continue to heal and grieve after 18 people were killed and 13 injured on Oct. 25.

"We want to make sure the community doesn’t forget what happened and how the community came together. So bringing the items together feels like next stage,” said Rachel Ferrante, executive director of the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor, located at a former mill building in Lewiston.