'There's no reason that this should be the defining fact about Maine:' Bloomfield store owner gives back to home state after mass shooting
BLOOMFIELD, Pa. (KDKA) - Across the country, people are feeling the impact of the latest mass shooting in Maine, including right here in Western Pennsylvania, where a Pittsburgh store owner from the state remains heartbroken for her community back home.
Inside Emilichka, off Liberty Avenue in the city's Bloomfield neighborhood, is a store filled with plants and home décor. It's a place where owner Emily Otte walks among greenery and feels a sense of calm, something she's desperately needed these past few days.
"It's definitely helped me being here, just, it's a very nice space to be in," Otte said.
Hundreds of miles away from Pittsburgh, Otte's family and friends have faced the unimaginable after a gunman shot and killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday night.
"It's terrible," Otte said.
She grew up just north of Portland, 30 to 45 minutes away from the scene, where her parents still live to this day.
"It was disbelief for the most part, and just like sadness and hoping that everyone I know in the Lewiston, Auburn area was safe," Otte said.
Thankfully, they're okay, but for two days, they sheltered in place as law enforcement searched for the shooter until Friday when investigators found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot.
"I know a lot of my friends and family are very shaken by it, and they, you know, they truly didn't think that anything like this would ever happen up there," Otte said.
It came as a shock to a state that has one of the country's lowest homicide rates, with only 29 killings in 2022.
"It's really hard being away from home when stuff like this is happening," Otte said.
Otte decided to start a fundraiser, donating 10% of all sales, including gift cards, to the victims and their families. She's already seen an outpouring of support.
"Pittsburgh is phenomenal. I feel like it's a very generous and giving community," Otte said.
Now, Otte hopes this tragedy doesn't define her home state.
"Maine has so much more to offer, and there's no reason that this should be like the defining fact about Maine," Otte said.
The fundraiser is going on through at least Tues., Oct. 31. Otte said her friends and family are grateful for what she's doing here.