A new documentary from FRONTLINE, the Portland Press Herald and Maine Public investigates the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history — when an Army reservist killed 18 people and wounded 13 in October 2023 — and the missed opportunities to prevent it.

The one-hour film examines breakdowns with police, military and mental health care in the lead-up to the Lewiston mass shooting and probes Maine’s unique gun laws and details the shooter’s brain injuries, possibly sustained during his time as an Army grenade instructor.

Directed by Bronwyn Berry and produced by James Blue of Storyboard Studios, “Breakdown in Maine” examines the devastating impact of the shooting, including on Maine’s Deaf community, which lost four people that day.

“Whose fault is it? Who do we blame?” asks Megan Vozzella, whose husband, Steve, was killed in the shooting. “It makes me angry. He could have been stopped.”

This film is  part of an ongoing collaboration with FRONTLINE (PBS) and Maine Public that includes an upcoming documentary. They are supported through FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.