A group of friends, many of whom are alumni of the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf in Falmouth, Maine, gathered at Schemengees Bar & Grille on Wednesday for their weekly cornhole game. The evening started out festive, but tragically ended with half of the friends dead. The survivors, still in shock, reached out to Jimmy Fitts, who lost four friends in the shooting. Fitts, who is also deaf, lives in North Carolina and woke up to horrifying texts and video calls from his friends describing the assault. The shooter, wearing a tan hoodie and wielding an assault rifle, started firing before anyone could react. Some of the friends managed to escape when the gunman paused to reload. Among the victims were Joshua Seal, Bryan MacFarlane, Steve Vozzella, and William Brackett, all respected members of the Deaf community. In total, the shooting claimed the lives of 18 people and injured 13 others, including two deaf individuals. Authorities found the suspected shooter, Robert Card, dead of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound on Friday. Card had recently been fitted for hearing aids but began struggling with his mental health, claiming to hear “horrible” voices. In response to the shooting, a Facebook page called “Maine Deaf Community Support” was created and gained over 1,000 members. The page became a platform for members of the Deaf community to express their frustration with the lack of sign language interpreters during news conferences and ask for interpreters at the funerals of the victims. Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck addressed this concern during a press conference, stating that ASL interpreters should be present to provide language access for the Deaf community. The Deaf community also turned to “The Daily Moth,” a website that delivers news in American Sign Language, to receive information about the shooting. Alex Abenchuchan, host of “The Daily Moth,” connected with individuals in Maine and the families of the victims through text messages and Facebook, delivering news in ASL. Fitts, who lost a close friend in the shooting, struggled to come to terms with the loss and stayed awake, talking and crying with others affected by the tragedy. Karen Turcotte, a mother of two deaf sons, was relieved that her son missed the gathering that night due to his son’s soccer banquet, but was devastated by the loss of her son’s childhood friends. The Deaf community came together for a Zoom vigil organized by the Maine Deaf Community Support Facebook page, where they expressed their grief and shared memories of the victims. The loss of four deaf individuals has had a profound impact on the Deaf community, and they are seeking comfort and support from one another during this difficult time.