alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, killing# 18 people and injuring 13 others.

It w country's deadliest mass shooting this year,# and one community was hit especially hard.

The shooting is believed to be the# deadliest for deaf people ever in the U.S. Laura Barron-Lopez looks at how the deaf# community in Maine is rebuilding in the## wake of tragedy and how the community# there is coping with this holiday season.

MEGAN VOZZELLA, Widow (through interpreter):# Our wedding day, our celebration.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Megan and Stephen Vozzella# were m MEGAN VOZZELLA (through interpreter): He always# told me he loved me every day.

It didn't matter## if we were having an argument or what.

He said# he loved me.

He'd give LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: But just weeks before what# would have been their first wedding anniversary,## Stephen was killed by a gunman at Schemengees# Bar and Grille, along with seven others.

MEGAN VOZZELLA (through interpreter): They said:## "Ste LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Megan says he was# a devoted father who loved traveling,## camping, and cornhole.

He died# playing with his cornhole team.

MEGAN VOZZELLA (through interpreter): That's# what he was doing Wednesday nights.

You know,## sometimes, a lot of deaf people were there cornhole tournament just to get# together and enjoy time together.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: That Wednesday night# of October 25, Stephen was one of four## deaf people killed, Stephen Vozzella, Joshua# Seal, Billy Brackett, and Bryan MacFar a loss felt acutely throughout Maine's# small and tight-knit deaf community.

MEGAN VOZZELLA (through interpreter): Our# friends and our husband's who are gone with him,## it's not easy.

My friend Liz, I mean,# we grew up together.

And Josh Seal,## I grew up with him.

I mean, it's too difficult# to talk about, because we both lost our husbands.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Kyle Curtis# was Stephen's best friend and## cornhole partner.

He was at the bar# that KYLE CURTIS, Shooting Survivor (through# interpreter): My mind was racing with,## where are my friends, an night I have ever had in my life.

And# there's nothing that can compare to that.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: What# has your recovery been like?

KYLE CURTIS (through interpreter): Seeing# that we have o been very strong, that has helped to be able# to get some healing and pr process has been slow.

I know it will take more# time, but it is a wonderful, connected family.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Richard Morlock,# another survivor, also recalled the## shock he felt that night.

He didn't realize# what was happening until h RICHARD MORLOCK, Shooting Survivor (through# translator): And there was this loud boom,## and then it continued.

There was# a second a And, after that, I don't know how many more# after that, we saw a man start shooting.## I was essentially in a corner.

So I went# to the ground.

I dropped and played dead,## I mean, and just laid there# and tried to just wait it out.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Morlock, Curtis,# and a few other survivors from that## night often gather at Sliders just down# the road.

Morlock says he is to have a place to get together# and enjoy the game they all love.

RICHARD MORLOCK (through interpreter):# We cannot give up or let this stop## us.

We need to stay strong and# support one anot it allows us to have fun.

If we didn't have# this, I think it would be very difficult.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Do you feel as though the deaf## community has had enough resources# to rec RICHARD MORLOCK (through interpreter): So far, I# feel like they have had support, but it's going## to be a long process to be able to heal.

There's# going to be counseling that's needed and all of## that.

So I know they have a long way to go.

You# know, we can't have any of these resources end.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: The deaf people# who survived the shooting here at## Schemengees are still trying to rebuild# ex perience brings attention to needed# resources for deaf people everywhere.

HOWARD ROSENBLUM, CEO, National Association# of the Deaf: What took place in Maine is## just illustrative, one isolated example of# what LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Howard Rosenblum# is CEO of the National Association## of the Deaf.

He says the shooting in# Lewiston highlighted systemic issues## that leave deaf people more vulnerable# during and after traumatic events.

HOWARD ROSENBLUM (through interpreter): There# was no way to access whatever services were## being provided.

The deaf and hard of# hearing thought long and hard about how# we get warnings and information.

And, often, we're at the end of the communication# loop and we are the last to know.

Indeed, in Lewiston shooting, this is another demonstration# of the problem rooted in the system itself.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Rosenblum says deaf people# are also forgotten in the aftermath of a disaster.

In Lewiston, interpreters were left# out of the initial press briefings## and kept out of hospitals in# the hours after the shooting.

HOWARD ROSENBLUM (through interpreter):# The community has been hard at wo law enforcement, clinical hospital# staff, governor's offices to ge changes moving.

And I remain ever hopeful# that, even though it's a terrible tragedy,## what happened in Maine, that it will# lead to better systemwide changes.

MEGAN VOZZELLA (through interpreter):# We're working on it right now.

We are## really struggling with accessibility, for sure.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Megan Vozzella hopes# the deaths of her husband and ca n bring about lifesaving changes# for deaf people in times of crisis.

MEGAN VOZZELLA (through interpreter): There's# nothing we can do about the situation that happened that night.

And they're just going# to have to fix the syste lay blame, but we need to work together and really# work to improve it.

We need to move on from here.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: But moving on is# difficult, especially this time of## year.

With photos of Stephen everywhere, Megan# holds on t MEGAN VOZZELLA (through translator): He was always# asking me to make the cookies every Christmas.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: What are the holidays# like now that it's the first year MEGAN VOZZELLA (through interpreter):# It's been hard.

It's the first time## setting up the Christmas tree, the# one was a wedding gift.

And I struggled# with that.

My daughter didn't want to## help with it.

She didn't really want to have# anything to do with it.

So I did it alone.

Very hard, because Steve was# always there every year.

He## loved the Christmas tree and decorating.# So, this year, it's not the same at all.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: For the "PBS# NewsHour," I'm Laura Barron-Lopez in Maine.