By Daniella Silva, George Solis and Alex Seitz-Wald – NBC News
It was supposed to be a night of fun competitions.
A group of youngsters gathered Wednesday night at a Lewiston bowling alley for youth league games. Four miles away, members of a cornhole team for the deaf were hosting an evening of games.
But, soon after, the fun was interrupted by a gunfight.
A gunman opened fire at the bowling event hosted at Just-in-Time Recreation, where he killed seven people, before moving to Schemengees Bar and Grille about 12 minutes later, where he killed eight more. The death toll stands at 18, including those who later died in hospitals.
Kim McConville, whose cousin and 14-year-old son were killed at the bowling alley, said: "They were innocent people who had gone out bowling. It was a children's event. Who expects a shooter to go to a children's event?"
All of the deceased have been identified, ranging in age from 14 to 76, according to a spokesman for the state coroner's office. Their names were not released.
[Search continues for Maine massacre suspect as residents wake up locked in their homes]
A hobby turns deadly
Two sisters were bowling when they heard loud noises. Because of the constant sound of the balls, they didn't realize what was going on at first, their mother said.
When it became apparent that the sounds were gunshots, one of the sisters, 53-year-old Tricia Asselin, tried to call 911 as people ran toward an exit on one side of the building, Alicia Lachance told NBC News. Asselin worked part-time at the bowling alley's concession stand and was there on her night off with her sister Bobbi-Lynn Nichols.
"Tricia decided to go get her phone so she could call the police and dial 911 because she cared about people," said Lachance, who wasn't there that night but spoke to Nichols afterward. "A lot of them were clients of his."
Asselin was shot and killed.
Lachance said Asselin "had a great passion for life," that she was a loving mother and "the most caring person there was."
Another bowler thought a balloon was popping, but when he looked toward the door, he saw a man with a large gun in his hand. The player ran along an alley and crawled into the bowling machinery while the gunman fired randomly.
[At least 22 killed and more than 50 wounded in shootings at various locations in Maine. Police are looking for a "person of interest"]
"I was putting on my bowling shoes when it started," the player, who identified himself only as Brandon, said Wednesday night. "I was barefoot for five hours." He also said he heard about 10 gunshots.
"I had my back to the door, and as soon as I turned around and saw it wasn't a balloon — he was holding a gun — I started running away," he told The Associated Press.
Survivors and families whose loved ones died or are missing said they are desperately trying to piece together what happened Wednesday night in this quiet town north of Portland, where shooting deaths are rare.
The alleged shooter remains at large, and police issued an arrest warrant for him on murder charges.
On Thursday, McConville was trying to locate Bill Young, his cousin, and his 14-year-old son, Aaron, who were last seen at the bowling alley.
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"It's total chaos. People aren't getting any of the information they need," he said. "They're not telling them anything more than what we heard at the press conference."
McConville said his family members went to the hospital and reunification center but had no luck, and Young's cellphone indicated he was at the bowling alley. They called several times without getting an answer.
Police later informed McConville's family that Young and his son were part of the group of people who were killed.
On Thursday, Just-in-Time Recreation posted a statement on Facebook saying that "none of this seems real, but unfortunately it is."
"We are devastated for our community and our staff. Last night we lost some amazing people from our bowling family and community," the post read. "There are no words to fix this or make it better. We pray for all those affected by this horrific tragedy. We love you all and carry you close in our hearts."
A hard-hit community
Joseph Walker, manager of Schemengees Bar & Grille, was among the dead, said his father, Leroy Walker. Her son died a hero after he grabbed a butcher knife from the bar and tried to "go to the gunman to stop him from shooting anyone else," Walker said.
[Miane's shooting is the worst of the year in the U.S. and one of the largest in its recent history]
But the gunman shot Joseph twice, Walker said before breaking down in tears.
Walker described her son as someone who "loved thousands of people" and "thousands of people loved him."
"I would help anybody, I would work with anybody, I would put on any kind of tournament that they wanted," Walker said. "I raised money for many, many groups. I was actually going to do a cornhole tournament on November 11 in order to raise money for the veterans."
Joseph and his wife had two grandchildren and a stepson living at home with them, and Joseph's wife is "devastated," Walker said.
The shooting hit Maine's deaf community especially hard. Several of its members were participating in a cornhole event at the restaurant hosted by American Deaf Cornhole, a group that organizes tournaments across the country.
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Catherine Dunn was still waiting for official news about her stepson, Bryan McFarlane, 41, who is deaf.
"I don't know if he's dead or alive," she said, adding that she's worried about McFarlane's dog.
"He takes his dog everywhere. I don't know if your dog is in his truck at the Schemengees bar yet. Or if he's at home or if he's still alive," she said.
Schemengees Bar & Grille posted an unsigned message on Facebook that reads: "My heart is broken. I have no words. In a split second your world is turned upside down for no reason. We've lost great people in this community. How can we understand this? I send prayers to the whole world."