War Zone: Unveiling the Lewiston Killings

On May 24, 2022, my editors at TODAY.com prepared to send me to Ukraine to report on the unprovoked war by Russia. I had thoroughly prepared for this assignment, undergoing a three-day hostile environment training and acquiring battlefield medical equipment like tourniquets. Additionally, I had engaged in challenging conversations with my then-partner about the worst-case scenario and how to explain the unthinkable to our two young sons.

Danielle Campoamor

I was bombarded with news alerts on my phone, email, and Slack when I received a phone call. The shocking report stated that two teachers and 19 children had been shot and killed in two fourth-grade classrooms at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

My senior editor informed me that I wouldn't be heading to Ukraine. Instead, I had a single-way ticket to Texas, where a more recent and urgent story was unfolding. There was no necessity to travel extensively to document the destructive consequences of warfare, as these consequences were already affecting children of similar age to my eldest son, right at home.

And then, on Thursday, it occurred once more.

While en route to Israel for my coverage of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, I received news of a mass shooting in Maine. As I had planned to conduct on-the-ground reporting, including face-to-face interviews with grieving family members affected by Hamas' acts of violence, and collect voice memos from innocent civilians trapped in Gaza, the initial reports of another mass shooting brought back a familiar sense of dread. Multiple lives were lost, with over a dozen others injured, and the shooter was still at large. The community was paralyzed with fear, taking shelter and anxiously waiting for the nightmare of gun violence to end. This occurred while I was traveling across the world to cover a devastating war in which thousands, including numerous children, were reported dead - a stark reminder of the ongoing devastation unfolding both abroad and at home.

Law enforcement authorities are currently conducting an investigation at a Dollar General Store where a mass shooting occurred on Sunday, August 27, 2023, in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

John Raoux/AP

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Unfettered access to weapons of war has transformed numerous public spaces in this nation into potential slaughterhouses. Schools, parades, churches and synagogues, nightclubs, health care clinics, movie theaters, malls, grocery stores, outdoor concerts, and bowling alleys are all vulnerable. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, guns now rank as the leading cause of death among children in the United States, surpassing car crashes, overdoses, and even Covid-19. The alarming trend continues as well, with the country reaching over 100 mass shootings nationwide in just two months in 2023. In 2022, the same grim milestone was surpassed by March 19, and in 2021, by the end of March.

To put it simply, the situation is deteriorating.

In Texas, students beginning from the seventh grade are being provided with "battlefield trauma care," which includes training on applying tourniquets and chest seals. Recently, policymakers in the state proposed a new legislation to extend these mandatory courses to children as young as the third grade.

In Uvalde, the medics who managed to access the classrooms and attend to the surviving children in the aftermath of the massacre reported a distressing sight of an abundance of blood. Law enforcement personnel who witnessed the brutality firsthand were captured on body cameras shedding tears and experiencing vomiting. This horrifying incident was perpetrated by an 18-year-old who was armed with an assault rifle.

Now, in Maine, we find ourselves witnessing a similar unfolding of events.

Similar to soldiers in times of war, individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one to gun violence, survived a mass shooting, or directly witnessed such atrocities are facing detrimental mental health consequences. These consequences include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Unfortunately, much like returning soldiers, they often struggle to access sufficient and long-term mental healthcare solutions.

In this June 29, 2016 file photo, firearms are displayed at a firearms store in Miami. A recent poll has revealed a significant surge in support for stricter gun control legislation in the United States. The poll found that a majority of gun owners and half of Republicans are in favor of implementing new laws to combat gun violence, particularly in the wake of a Florida school shooting that claimed the lives of 17 individuals and subsequently ignited nationwide protests. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

Alan Diaz/AP/FILE

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Ashbey Beasley, who witnessed the tragic events on July 4, 2022, when a gunman armed with an AR-15 style weapon opened fire during a parade in Highland Park, Illinois, resulting in the death of seven individuals and the injury of many more, expressed to me the vital importance of mental health care and community resources for survivors of mass shootings.

She emphasized that some survivors may be unable to work, lack health insurance or paid time off to tend to their own well-being. By broadening the conversation to include all individuals present during these horrifying incidents, we recognize the urgent need to provide resources to everyone affected. Additionally, the recent catastrophe in Lewiston, Maine, claimed the lives of over 30 individuals and caused numerous injuries. Considering that the town has a population of approximately 38,000 and the entire state has only one Level 1 Trauma Hospital, it is evident that all witnesses, loved ones, family members, first responders, healthcare workers, and community members have been profoundly impacted.

In a time where news is constantly reporting on two international conflicts, the erosion of constitutional and human rights, the devastating effects of a global pandemic, the opioid crisis, and the continued prevalence of gun violence, it is clear that we, as human beings, have the ability to witness and endure multiple tragedies at once.

It is important to emphasize that the events that have unfolded in Maine, as well as in Uvalde, Highland Park, Sandy Hook, Buffalo, Las Vegas, Pulse, Parkland, San Jose, Columbine, Aurora, and many other places, do not diminish the significance of what is occurring in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond. Likewise, the opposite is also true. One act of horror should not overshadow another. Violence is violence, regardless of the location. When lives are taken, the potential for a bright future is extinguished and communities are left devastated, with lasting scars for generations to come.

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Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, but as a journalist who has reported on both violent conflicts abroad and numerous instances of gun violence in our own country, I am fully aware that the horrors of war are not confined to distant lands. They are a stark reality experienced right here, in peaceful towns, local grocery stores, and even children's classrooms.

As I think about my time in Israel, I reflect on the words of Brett Cross from Uvalde, whose son, Uzi, tragically lost his life in the Robb Elementary School shooting. Upon hearing about the shooting in Maine, Brett messaged me with a profound statement:

"I understand that you are entering a war zone. However, it's important to acknowledge that we too are in a war zone here. A war zone that is a direct result of lenient gun laws and the failure of our politicians. This is a war zone that is distinctively American."