Interview with Elizabeth Seal; Maine Deaf community holds virtual candlelight vigil
Interview with Elizabeth Seal
Here is an interview with Elizabeth “Liz” Seal, the wife of Joshua Seal, who was one of the four deaf victims in the Lewiston, Maine mass shooting.
[Begin interview]
Elizabeth “Liz” Seal: Josh and I have been together for over 20 years. Married for 14 years.
Alex (Daily Moth): Together for 20 years. And you have four children, right?
Liz: Yes.
[Image of Liz and Josh posing for a picture outside. Image of Liz and Josh enjoying a ride with their four children]
Alex: It is a really terrible tragedy. How are you and your family dealing with this? Are you getting the support you need?
Liz: Yes, this is a terrible tragedy. I’m taking it one day at a time. I’m still processing it. It still doesn’t feel real. But yes I’ve gotten a lot of support from friends and family. It’s been incredible. Also from the Deaf community. It’s amazing how many people Josh has impacted. Many have reached out to me to make sure everything is okay and if I need anything. I’m so grateful for all the help to get me through this journey. I don’t feel so alone.
Alex: How did you find out about the incident?
Liz: My close friend, who is one of the injured victims’ wife, texted me if I heard anything about what happened. I asked what she was talking about. She said there was a shooting. I said “What?” It was shocking. All the women who were the wives, partners, or had boyfriends met at a friend’s house because we couldn’t go in the town where it happened because there were barriers set up. So I went there. Also, one friend who escaped — he wasn’t injured, thank God — contacted me on FaceTime and explained what happened. He told me what happened with Josh, my husband. I just broke down and cried. I tried to stay positive and thought he may be injured and was hiding and waiting for safety. But I later found out that this was not the case.
Alex: There is still a manhunt for the suspected shooter that’s still ongoing. Did the four deaf victims know him at all? I’ve seen a few articles but I’m curious if you can share what you know.
Liz: Yes, ironically he just got hearing aids last summer. I’ve heard — I don’t know if it is true — that he played cornhole. But he did not have any connection with the Deaf community. No association with our group who were there at the cornhole tournament. No connection at all. He just randomly came and I don’t know why.
Alex: Can you share if you know why the four were targeted? Was it a small room or did the shooter target an area that happened to have many deaf people?
Liz: The shooting happened in two different places. One was at a bowling alley and the other was at a bar/restaurant where the cornhole tournament. The first shooting incident was at the bowling alley and then the bar was shot up. There were not just the four victims, but a total of 18. Four were deaf and the other 14 are hearing. There were also people injured but I don’t know the amount. Two deaf people were injured. There were more who escaped, thank God. Three deaf people escaped.
Alex: So there were five survivors. But four passed away. Out of the nine deaf people who were gathered.
Liz: Right.
Alex: The suspect, Robert Card, had mental health issues. He did threaten to shoot a military facility. He is also a certified firearms instructor. Do you feel frustrated that he had access to guns? Can you share your thoughts on that?
Liz: Yeah, I read about that. I think there are two different problems here. One is on mental health. We need more support for those who have mental health issues. If someone expressed that they are having issues, why isn’t it being addressed? There should be more support groups, more of… something for them. Now about guns, I understand why there is a need for guns, simple guns. It’s for protection, to feel safe, for sports or the outdoors, for hunting, that’s okay. But an AR-style rifle. Why? Why do we need access to these guns? I feel that these types of guns should be banned. Because I have seen these types of guns be used again and again where there are mass shootings. It’s happened in other states and now it’s hit Maine. This needs to stop.
Alex: Joshua was not only a good friend to many and a family man, but he was also an important figure as a Certified Deaf Interpreter.
Image of Joshua Seal and post by Pine Tree Society: “The tragic events in Lewiston last evening hit close to home at Pine Tree Society. It is with great sorrow we share that Joshua Seal was killed in the shooting. Joshua was our Director of Interpreting Services. He was a husband, a father of four and a tireless advocate for the Deaf community. He was committed to creating safe space for Deaf people and was widely known as the ASL interpreter for Dr. Shah’s pandemic briefings. The ripple effects of his loss will be felt by countless Maine people. Pine Tree Society offices will remain closed Friday, October 27 as we mourn and honor our friend and colleague, Josh.”
Alex: Can you describe how you will remember Joshua?
Liz: My husband was very active in the Deaf community. He was the director of an interpreting agency. He made sure there was equal access for interpreting. He made sure children had access to education. He was active in making sure children had a good future. He helped to establish a deaf camp for children in Maine. So I want to honor this and keep this camp going. There are other people involved as well. I want to make sure that his dream will live on, for all the young children who are growing up.
Alex: That’s great to see that you’re carrying on his dream. You’re taking that work and keeping it up. It’s really nice to see that. Thank you so much.
Liz: Thank you.
[End interview]
Thank you, Liz, for your time and strength in doing the interview. Our hearts go out to you and the families and loved ones of the four deaf men and 14 others who are no longer with us.
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[Sponsored video from Convo: www.convorelay.com]
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Maine Deaf community holds virtual candlelight vigil
The Maine Deaf community hosted a virtual candlelight vigil last night. Over 160 people attended the Zoom session and many of them held up candles to express support and community solidarity.
People took turns to express how their hearts were shattered and how this was an extremely traumatic event, but they also emphasized the importance of staying close together and supporting each other.
One person said the four deaf people were “good men” and that they loved each other.
One person who lives in the Lewiston area said they had to stay home all day (and today) due to shelter-in-place orders because of the manhunt for the shooter and that they hoped the shooter would be found and arrested so all of them can have peace of mind.
I want to share that there are resources to provide mental and emotional support.
There is a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — you can call this number on the videophone or text 988.
National Deaf Therapy said they would provide resources and free offerings to those in Maine.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) said the NAD and the Maine Association of the Deaf (MeAD) are standing by to provide support.
Deaf Counseling Center said they are here to offer support and guidance.
I’ve included links in the transcript below.
That’s all the updates for now. We are continuing to get more information on this tragedy.
https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/for-deaf-hard-of-hearing/
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1026964031950437&set=a.632383151408529