About three months before the suspect’s deadly rampage in rural Maine, which left 18 dead and 13 injured, he attempted to buy a silencer at Coastal Defense Firearms. The owner, Rick LaChapelle, recalled how the suspect incriminated himself on a form by admitting he had been institutionalized. Despite the suspect’s cooperation, the store, following procedures, denied the sale.
The suspect’s shooting spree began at the Just-In-Time bowling alley in Lewiston, where he killed seven, and continued at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, adding eight more fatalities. Three others later died from their injuries. This incident is marked as one of the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. After fleeing the scene, the suspect was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot at a Lisbon recycling plant where he had previously worked.
LaChapelle detailed that the suspect had bought the silencer online, intending to collect it from Coastal Defense. However, the suspect’s admission on the federal form led to the denial of the silencer. Although the suspect expressed intent to resolve the issue legally, he never returned to the store.
