Retired officer helped shield people in bowling alley during Maine shooting

By Sarah Roebuck
Police1

LEWISTON, Maine — A retired police officer quickly started protecting people in a bowling alley when a man opened fire on Wednesday night, ABC News reports. 

Riley Dumont told ABC News that her daughter, who is 11 years old, was involved in a youth activity at the bowling alley when shots suddenly rang out.

Dumont said her father, a retired police officer with 40 years of experience, quickly grasped the severity of the situation and assisted in safeguarding individuals in the bowling alley.

“My dad’s been a police officer for 40 years and he literally just went into action in that moment and just kind of corralled us all and made sure we were all safe … he was waiting for the cops to walk through the front door and he put protection in front of us and tables and like a big bench that the kids were hiding behind,” Dumont told ABC News.

[Related: Strategies for effective public messaging during active threats]

Dumont shared that she, along with her daughter, mother, and other parents and children present, were hiding. She firmly believes that her father’s actions contributed to saving lives.

The shootings, at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, killed 18 people and injured 13 others.

According to the state’s medical examiner, 16 males and two females killed Wednesday night ranged in age from 14 to 76.

NEXT: Don’t look away from Lewiston, instead learn and prepare

This post was originally published on this site