- Juray faced the difficult decision of reopening its main bowling alley after last October’s mass shooting.
- Eventually they decided to reopen, leading to a complete transformation of the venue.
- Maine’s governor, Janet Mills, plans to speak at the re-inauguration ceremony on Friday.
It’s a dilemma no business owner should face: whether or not to reopen after a mass shooting.
Justin and Samantha Jure didn’t find the answer easily. But when they decided to reopen main bowling alleyThey did not step back.
When patrons return Friday, six months after the gunman opened fire, they’ll find inspirational photos at the end of each lane, bright colors on the walls and new floors. The Lewiston venue has been completely transformed, giving it a lively, airy feel.
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Samantha Jure becomes emotional as she recalls the events of October 25, when the gunman killed eight people at a bowling alley before moving on to a nearby bar and pool hall, where he opened fire during the deadliest shooting in state history. 10 more people were killed. He later died by suicide.
Lucas Mitchum inspects gutters on a lane at Just in Time Recreation on May 1, 2024 in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley is scheduled to reopen Friday. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
“It’s never going to get out of my mind,” Jure said this week as he made final preparations for reopening. “I think if we don’t move forward – not that this whole thing meant anything anyway – we’ll just let the people who have taken so much from us win.”
Justin Jure was initially against reopening and received some negative feedback from outside. But that all changed, he said, because people in Lewiston rallied behind him. Within a few weeks, Samantha Jure said, they knew they had to reopen.
They decided to keep the same name: Just-in-Time Recreation. They say this because when they bought the venue three years ago, the owner was days away from closing. This also fits with Justin’s name.
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After mass shootings across the country, people have adopted different methods. Barbara Poma, former owner of Pulse Nightclub in Florida While 49 people were killed in 2016, he said every situation and community is different.
“You suddenly go into a state of shock and emotions dictate your thoughts,” Poma said in an email. “Ultimately you are forced to make an important business decision based on how it will affect others emotionally and publicly. There is no easy or right answer.”
The city of Orlando agreed last year to purchase the Pulse nightclub site to build a memorial.
In Aurora, Colorado, a movie theater where 12 people were killed in 2012 later reopened under a new name. Buffalo Tops Friendly Market reopens in 2022, two months after 10 black people were murdered.
In Newtown, Connecticut, Sandy Hook Elementary School was demolished, and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas is also planned to be demolished.
In Lewiston, Kathy LeBel, who owns Schemenges Bar & Grill, another business hit by the gunman, also hopes to reopen in a different location.
At the bowling alley, Tom Ghiberti said people are “very excited to have us back.”
Ghiberti, who has worked at the bowling alley for 20 years, is credited with saving the lives of at least four children on the night of the shooting. He led them through a narrow path between the streets to the area behind the pin. Before Ghiberti could get himself to safety, he was shot and hit by shrapnel in both legs.
After the surgery, it didn’t take long for Ghiberti to stop using the mobility walker he was given. These days, he enjoys playing golf and shows few physical symptoms of his injuries when he hits the bowling alley.
Many people in Lewiston have helped reopen the venue, he said.
“The community has been phenomenal,” Ghiberti said. “They’ve been right here for us, they’ve been supporting us.”
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The bowling alley’s makeover included a new scoring system and several tributes, including a table with photos of the eight people killed at Just-in-Time and bowling pins with the names of the 18 shooting victims from both locations.
Two bowling alley staff members were among those killed. Most of the remaining employees are returning to work at the venue.
Samantha Jure said they are absolutely ready to serve customers again and can’t wait to see the familiar faces of regulars as they get used to a new normal.
Maine Governor Janet Mills is among those planning to speak at a ceremony Friday afternoon. a democrat,
“I’m excited to open,” Jure said. “I know it will definitely be a very long day, and probably an emotional day.”
