NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WLNE) — It’s a year after the tragic mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, and North Attleboro High School’s soccer team has been working to help the community. “It’s a school and a community in which we give back to others,” Athletic Director Nicholas Schlierf said. “Especially a likeminded school up in Lewiston that suffered what they did.” Members of the soccer team honored the city where, on Oct. 25, 2023, 18 people were killed and 13 more were injured after a gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and restaurant. “We all felt bad and we knew we had to go and support them,” Parker Peri, a forward for North Attleboro, said. The shooting spree, the 10th deadliest in United States history, prompted a two-day manhunt that ended with police finding the shooter dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In the spring, athletes from several sports in North Attleboro traveled to Maine as part of an initiative with the New England Patriots Foundation. “We got to coach the kids of Lewiston, got to teach them some soccer drills,” Peri said. “It was just a great experience.” On the eve of the shooting’s one year anniversary, members of the team wore purple wristbands to support Lewiston. “Our soccer programs bonded right away out there with theirs,” Schlierf said. “So it was just a natural thing for our principal and their athletic director and I to try and find some way this fall that we would be able to give them our support, especially during this anniversary week.” Lewiston Athletic Director Jason Fuller sent this message to North Attleboro: “Lewiston Athletics has been profoundly touched by the compassion shown by the North Attleboro School Community. From the Patriot Foundation Day and beyond, North Attleboro has exemplified class and dignity, providing invaluable support to our community and athletic department. Your concern and ongoing support have been deeply appreciated, aiding us in our healing process. The encouragement from North Attleboro has been instrumental in helping us reach where we are today. While there is still healing to be done, the compassion demonstrated by North Attleboro Soccer played a crucial role in getting us through those initial months. Lewiston Athletics looks forward to strengthening this relationship in the near future.” Categories: Massachusetts, News, Regional News