More than two years after the Lewiston mass shooting, some survivors and family members say they are still struggling financially, and one woman is calling on local nonprofits to return the grants they received so donations can benefit victims instead.The issue has resurfaced in part because one of the nonprofits that received a grant was Gateway Community Services Maine. That organization is separate from Gateway Community Services LLC, which is under scrutiny for allegedly overbilling more than $1 million to MaineCare, but both entities were founded by the same person and share the same address.After the shooting, Maine Community Foundation created a fund with two components: one for victims and families, and another called the Broad Recovery & Organizations Fund. According to the foundation, $4.7 million was distributed to 162 individuals, while $1.9 million was split equally among 29 nonprofits.Amy Sussman, whose nephew was killed in the shooting, said she believes the distribution failed those most directly impacted.“In my opinion, they were used; their tragedy was used to raise money for nonprofits,” Sussman said. “And I can tell you that my nephew’s wife’s phone is not ringing off the hook, nor has it ever been with these nonprofits offering help to her.”Sussman’s nephew, 35-year-old Maxx Hathaway, was shot and killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille while celebrating after finishing his degree at the University of Southern Maine. His wife, who was pregnant with their second child, had left early to head home.“His wife is not able to work,” Sussman said. “She has a 2-year-old and a 3-and-a-half-year-old.”If the nonprofit funds had instead been split evenly among individual victims, each would have received an additional $11,728.“I don’t know how you could choose nonprofits to get $65,000 when people who were shot got $30 — $32,000, one person who received $32,000 received also received a $93,000 hospital bill,” she said. A spokesperson for the Maine Community Foundation said the organization was transparent about the fact that there were two funds from the beginning, but 8 Investigates obtained an email sent to a victim that stated, “I am working with the Maine Community Foundation to help ensure that survivors and victims know that 100% of all donations go to the victims/survivors of this tragic event (putting it mildly.)”According to the grant requirements, funds could go to groups that helped with the immediate response and worked directly with victims, and organizations that supported residents who were not present during the shooting but who struggled with trauma afterward. The Maine Attorney General’s Office said it found no issues with how the funds were distributed.A consultant who worked on the fundraiser said this approach reflects best practices, though groups such as Victims First disagree and argue money should primarily go to those who were injured or lost loved ones. Sussman, who’s seen the impact on her nephew’s family, agrees. “She said his daughter has stopped looking for him and I don’t know which is worse, to think that she walked around the house for two months looking for him, or that she stopped,” Sussman said. “That’s what this is. This isn’t about nonprofits. This is about people losing a dad, a spouse, a life partner, a son, a brother, a nephew, and all the other victims of this. Everyone has their own story, and we’re focused on nonprofits.” According to a 2024 grant update reviewed by 8 Investigates, three of the nonprofit recipients were clearly connected to direct recovery efforts. 8 Investigates contacted the remaining 26 organizations. Two appear to have gone out of business. Five said they provided immediate help after the shooting or mental health support to children in the months that followed. One said it was not qualified or situated to work directly with victims but upheld the purpose of the grant.As of now, 18 organizations have not responded, including Gateway Community Services Maine.
More than two years after the Lewiston mass shooting, some survivors and family members say they are still struggling financially, and one woman is calling on local nonprofits to return the grants they received so donations can benefit victims instead.
The issue has resurfaced in part because one of the nonprofits that received a grant was Gateway Community Services Maine. That organization is separate from Gateway Community Services LLC, which is under scrutiny for allegedly overbilling more than $1 million to MaineCare, but both entities were founded by the same person and share the same address.
After the shooting, Maine Community Foundation created a fund with two components: one for victims and families, and another called the Broad Recovery & Organizations Fund. According to the foundation, $4.7 million was distributed to 162 individuals, while $1.9 million was split equally among 29 nonprofits.
Amy Sussman, whose nephew was killed in the shooting, said she believes the distribution failed those most directly impacted.
“In my opinion, they were used; their tragedy was used to raise money for nonprofits,” Sussman said. “And I can tell you that my nephew’s wife’s phone is not ringing off the hook, nor has it ever been with these nonprofits offering help to her.”
Sussman’s nephew, 35-year-old Maxx Hathaway, was shot and killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille while celebrating after finishing his degree at the University of Southern Maine. His wife, who was pregnant with their second child, had left early to head home.
“His wife is not able to work,” Sussman said. “She has a 2-year-old and a 3-and-a-half-year-old.”
If the nonprofit funds had instead been split evenly among individual victims, each would have received an additional $11,728.
“I don’t know how you could choose nonprofits to get $65,000 when people who were shot got $30 — $32,000, one person who received $32,000 received also received a $93,000 hospital bill,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Maine Community Foundation said the organization was transparent about the fact that there were two funds from the beginning, but 8 Investigates obtained an email sent to a victim that stated, “I am working with the Maine Community Foundation to help ensure that survivors and victims know that 100% of all donations go to the victims/survivors of this tragic event (putting it mildly.)”
According to the grant requirements, funds could go to groups that helped with the immediate response and worked directly with victims, and organizations that supported residents who were not present during the shooting but who struggled with trauma afterward.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office said it found no issues with how the funds were distributed.
A consultant who worked on the fundraiser said this approach reflects best practices, though groups such as Victims First disagree and argue money should primarily go to those who were injured or lost loved ones. Sussman, who’s seen the impact on her nephew’s family, agrees.
“She said his daughter has stopped looking for him and I don’t know which is worse, to think that she walked around the house for two months looking for him, or that she stopped,” Sussman said. “That’s what this is. This isn’t about nonprofits. This is about people losing a dad, a spouse, a life partner, a son, a brother, a nephew, and all the other victims of this. Everyone has their own story, and we’re focused on nonprofits.”
According to a 2024 grant update reviewed by 8 Investigates, three of the nonprofit recipients were clearly connected to direct recovery efforts. 8 Investigates contacted the remaining 26 organizations. Two appear to have gone out of business. Five said they provided immediate help after the shooting or mental health support to children in the months that followed. One said it was not qualified or situated to work directly with victims but upheld the purpose of the grant.
As of now, 18 organizations have not responded, including Gateway Community Services Maine.