This article talks about a mass shooting event; please take care while reading.
Patrick Dempsey is sharing outrage and heartache at the mass shooting that took place on Oct. 25 in his hometown of Lewiston, Maine. A gunman walked into two separate locations and killed at least 18 people, wounding another 13, and has been on the run since. Dempsey is heartbroken by the senseless act of the shooter, and he’s not the only one.
Taking to Instagram with a message to his followers, Dempsey says that the strength of Maine is in its sense of community, and that now is the time that we must come together and help a community in mourning.
“I am shocked and deeply saddened by last night’s tragedy in my hometown, Lewiston, Maine. Maine’s great strength is its sense of community, and now we’re being asked to come together to support everyone that has been devastated by this senseless act. My family and I are heartbroken for the victims, their families, and the community.”
Lewiston is a town Dempsey has given back to in many ways; the town of 38,500 has always been a place of hope and nourishment for the actor, and helping those who still call it home is an essential part of Dempsey’s life. One of the ways in which he has helped the town of Lewiston is by creating The Dempsey Center, a place of hope and promise for those affected by cancer.
Founded in 2008, The Dempsey Center was an ode to his mother, Amanda, who was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer in 1997. As he watched his mother fight several recurrences of the disease until her untimely death in 2014, he felt compelled to do something that paid homage to the woman who gave him so much and the fight she put forth each and every day.
Offering everything from nutritional classes and counseling to exercise opportunities and a place to co-exist with other fighters and survivors, the Dempsey Center provides help for those dealing with cancer at no cost.
The website notes visitors that, out of an abundance of caution, the center would be closed on Oct. 26 after the mass shooting with the gunman still being at large.
Dempsey’s plea to come together in honor of Lewiston is something that certainly won’t be ignored as people try to make sense of this tragedy and find ways to help fellow Americans, as we deal with yet another senseless tragedy. The shooting in Lewiston marked the 566th mass shooting in the United States in 2023 and the 32nd mass murder. It is evident that everyone is having a hard time dealing with the fact that those numbers are so high.
Those who live in Lewiston are advised to remain in their homes as the manhunt for the murder continues, and we’re sending our best to those who lost loved ones during this time.