Interview with Keri Brooks & Regan Thibodeau

Here is an interview with Keri Brooks and Regan Thibodeau on the topic of the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine on October 25.

[Begin Interview]
Daily Moth: Keri, your brother is Bryan. Regan, you were a colleague with Joshua Seal. Can you introduce your names and your relationships?

Keri Brooks: Hello, my name is Keri. My brother is Bryan MacFarlane, who passed away.

[Image of Keri and Bryan] Credit: Keri Brooks

Regan Thibodeau: I’m Regan Thibodeau. I’m a Deaf interpreter. I worked closely with Josh as a Deaf interpreter in the community.

[Image of Regan and Josh] Credit: Regan Thibodeau

Regan: Keri and I grew up together. That means I knew Bryan too. Actually, I met Bryan before I met her. At the same preschool. We were in different age groups. It was mixed with age groups back then. Bryan was there with me.

Keri: I knew the other men who were among the four (Deaf) victims. I grew up with Billy (Brackett). We played basketball and soccer together. Regan did as well. I interpreted with Joshua. Stephen Vozzella was the only one who I didn’t know but now I know him through this experience. I’ve grown close with his wife. I did know his wife.

Regan: She played basketball and soccer with his wife, Megan.

Keri: We are really all connected.

[Full-size images of Billy Brackett and Stephen Vozzella] No credit

Daily Moth: So it is a small community. So you both grew up in Maine, both of you? You both knew each other, yes? At the Governor Baxter School For The Deaf? Did you both attend?

Regan: I did attend preschool and kindergarten. Later on, we went there as athletes. We stayed at the dorm one night a week so we could socialize with others.

Daily Moth: Wow, I can see that the Maine Deaf Community is small and close-knit. Very loving and tight. It’s really amazing, that although there was this tragedy, how you responded and stayed united with setting up a Facebook page, hosting a vigil. Now I understand that all four (Deaf victims) funeral services have taken place with Bryan being the final one?

Keri: Yes, last Saturday was the celebration of life event. Then on Sunday there was a community event honoring all four victims. It was really nice. A lot of people came, maybe 300 people?

Regan: It was more than that. I felt it was 500 or 600.

Keri: Many old faces. Some that I haven’t seen in a long time. My former dorm supervisors, others that I grew up with. It was really nice to see everyone in one place.

[Full-size images of the community event] Credit: Regan Thibodeau

Daily Moth: Keri, can you describe what kind of person Bryan was? I read that he loved RC race cars and that he was the first Deaf CDL truck driver (in the region). Can you describe him?

Keri: Growing up, he always played with toy cars and trucks. He would line them up.

[Full-size images showing Keri and Bryan as young children] Credit: Keri Brooks

Keri: So I’m not surprised that later on he would love this field. He worked really hard to achieve his goals. He got support from VR and from other Deaf drivers who had CDL experience. They taught him how to drive a truck and practice with the driving tools. It was a community effort to make it happen.

[Full-size images of Bryan in a semi-truck and of Bryan holding a RC race car]

Keri: Bryan loved the outdoors. Fishing, motorcycles, camping. He was always doing something outside.

Daily Moth: Regan, can you describe Joshua Seal? What was he like as a colleague? I know you both did a neat thing at a graduation ceremony where you both provided a performance. That’s just one of what I’m sure is more. Can you describe your working relationship?

Regan: There are two things. The anthem was when he graduated with a BA in interpreting. I graduated with a PhD. It was the same time in 2019. So we both did a duet of the National Anthem.

[Video clip of Regan and Joshua performing the National Anthem during a graduation ceremony] Video Credit: FB/MJ Grant

Regan: Later on, during an ASL Live event, we performed together again. You can see an image of us switching our shirts. We did this as a surprise.

[Full-size image of Regan wearing Josh’s collar shirt and Josh wearing Regan’s tank top] Credit: Regan Thibodeau

Regan: He was ready to have fun. He was ready to be creative. He was also a professional person. He was serious and very considerate of everyone’s thoughts. Every time we approached him for support, he was there. He was wise beyond his age. We looked up to his way of thinking, how he resolved conflicts. He considered how to provide for everyone’s needs and came up with solutions. He was good with that. He was a good director and a team member. He would hang out with grassroots-type people during disc golf events or other events, camping, and he would also attend professional-level events. He invested himself fully in everything. He was a level-headed person. He was gifted. It is a huge loss for us.

Keri: Yes, I remember that you said the world doesn’t make sense without Joshua. I agree.

Daily Moth: I still can’t believe that this happened. It was so sudden. Now, you both were swarmed by multiple news organizations (including The Daily Moth). It must have been a lot of stress on a small Deaf community. Overwhelming. I’m sure that things have settled down by now. Can you describe that experience of being thrust in the national spotlight? And how did you maintain your positivity with that pressure from outside?

Keri: It’s true. It was a lot of pressure. I got so many messages from various people - from NBC, CNN, even Anderson Cooper. They contacted me with many messages. I tried to respond as much as I could. Many asked similar questions so I developed a pre-typed response. If they wanted to do a video interview, I requested for them to arrange an interpreter and pay them. They shouldn’t exploit us. So that was a challenging part. Many backed out because they didn't want to deal with an interpreter. So I told them, fine, no interview. I established my boundaries. If they wanted an interview, they would have to arrange an interpreter. I think it’s a good exposure for the news media to understand the importance of arranging an interpreter. Many of them did not realize that I, as a Deaf person, needed an interpreter. So that was a good teaching experience for them. I didn’t want to deny interviews because I wanted people to know about Maine, about these individuals who passed away. I wanted them to understand about access to information and its importance. That’s why I did the interviews.

Regan: I had similar experiences. The first thing was the pressure of communicating, where to find it. I have many roles in this community. Firstly, I’m someone who knows Keri’s family. We grew up together. So when I got the information about Bryan, I was like, “Oh. I’m the first to know.” I hadn’t worked as an interpreter at that point. So I had this information and felt it was important to let them (families) know. The second pressure was that nobody knew what was going on. There were no interpreters. Nothing on the news. So I just decided to go. I drove into the city even though it was under a shutdown. I showed up and made sure we shared information (in ASL) at the same time. Because we, the Deaf community and interpreters, we knew that nobody else was there. We already knew before. So we were concerned about access because we wanted Deaf people to know what was going on at the same time. So it was a pressure of being a Deaf interpreter versus a citizen. Which one? Do I do my duty versus what I care about as a part of the community? It was a very tough balance. I didn’t want to push too much by telling the media what to do, but I wanted to balance what (Deaf people) needed. So I combined both things and things proceeded. Once news outlets understood how Deaf people were involved in this incident, that ASL access was a priority, for it to be equally important, things went smoother. Once that was settled, I felt less pressure and could focus more on doing my job and focus on being a citizen of the community.

[Video clip of Regan interpreting a press conference with Maine officials] Credit: NBC NewsCenter Maine

Regan: Sometimes I can’t remember how. I look back and think, “I actually did that.” I feel like, “What? That happened?” I felt like I was removed from the real world. I was removed and was just focused on doing the work. It was like I was summoned somewhere else. I was so focused on providing access for all. I didn’t want to grieve alone. I wanted all of us to grieve together. I didn’t want to be alone. No. Once everyone knew what was going on, I felt a sense of relief. I could go back to my real world. And it really hit me hard. The Patriots (NFL) game with like, 200,000 people, holding up the ILY handshape… That really broke me down.

[Video clip of Patriots honoring the Lewiston victims at Gillette Stadium] Credit: ABC 5 News

Regan: It was real. Those who didn’t know about us now knew. They know of us now. They recognized us. It was impactful.

Keri: Many of us are now ready to take the step of fighting for gun reform. We need to change (gun) laws. There were many incidents in the past and we were touched, but now it’s happened to our community. I think this is the first time in history that there is a mass shooting involving multiple Deaf victims.

Daily Moth: I’ve never seen that happen before.

Keri: So now it’s impacted our community. So we have to be involved. I know there are groups out there fighting for gun reform.

Daily Moth: Did the Deaf community in general, in Maine, get equal access to resources for victims of mass shootings?

Regan: From conversations during the celebration of life event, some said that interpreters should have been there sooner. From the federal level.

Keri: Hospitals tool

Regan: Federal level. Yes (hospitals) is another one. On the federal level, when they sent support, they didn’t bring interpreters. Not until two days later. Now, on the topic of hospitals…

Keri: They didn’t allow interpreters in the hospitals. When the shooting happened. Many Deaf people were confused on who or what happened. But they didn’t get information. So that means Deaf victims who were hospitalized didn’t have access to communication until later.

Regan: Can you imagine being shot at, then you have to deal with a screen with an interpreter? (VRI device)? Or pen and paper? So that’s the last resort they should deal with. They are in pain. Their brains need their primary language. Signing would be easier. So I just empathize with them. So Keri is right about that. With the media, many thought it was okay to put the interpreter out of frame. We had to tell them to zoom out to show the interpreter. Then the governor made an announcement that the interpreter must be included in the frame. So the governor now realizes that including interpreters on the screen, there’s a good reason for it. It is to provide access to the community. Also during the manhunt for the (shooter), how can authorities take advantage of Deaf people’s good eyesights? They could help with finding clues and sending in tips to the tip line. But Deaf people were excluded. So how could the Deaf community help? (Authorities) missed out an opportunity to utilize the Deaf community’s good eyesights. They could have spotted things. Know what I mean? There were a lot of opportunities and it was tough.

Keri: Some Deaf people didn’t know that the town of Lewiston was under a lockdown. They didn’t know and were confused on why everything was empty. So that became a safety issue for Deaf people. What if a police officer approached them? So it is a serious situation to consider.

Daily Moth: I think many of us are very touched by what happened. And I hope for changes with gun (laws). Because obviously, that person should never have had access to guns.

Keri: Right.

Daily Moth: Also with access to interpreters. There were a lot of missed opportunities. So on these two topics, I hope there will be an impact for the future.

Keri: Thank you for checking in.

Daily Moth: Thank you so much.

Regan: Thank you. Appreciate that.

Daily Moth: Take care.
[End interview]

Thank you so much, Keri Brooks and Regan Thibodeau.

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Sisters in Style Online raises $21k for Maine Deaf victims

In related news, Sisters in Style Online, a Deaf-owned business, stepped up after the tragedy to make shirts and sweaters with the design of the state of Maine and an ILY handshape to honor the victims and survivors. SISO owner Nikki Reineck announced yesterday that it raised $21,000 from the effort and is donating it to the Lewiston Strong Maine Deaf Victims Fundraiser.

[Clip] Credit: Sisters in Style Online
Nikki Reineck, SISO Owner: I think this is the largest donation that we have ever made. We are announcing that we are making a $21,000 donation to the Maine Association of the Deaf. They will then decide what to do with the funds and allocate it on the behalf of the victims who were impacted from the Lewiston shooting event. It is a very tragic event. For the victims who were impacted.

It is really amazing to see how far we went with Sisters in Style Online. We’ve been here for four years. This $21,000 donation is a huge milestone for us to help others. This shows that the Deaf community can work together to make this happen. It is incredible.
[End clip]

It’s amazing to see how the greater Deaf community has rallied to support those in Maine. SISO said they would reopen orders with the Maine design on December 4th.

That’s all the updates with Maine for now.