CASPER — By all accounts, Robert “Bobby” Maher Jr. was a typical teen who loved basketball and hanging out with friends.
But there wasn’t anything typical about the violent death the 14-year-old was given, allegedly attacked and stabbed by two other juveniles during a violent altercation at the Eastridge Mall on Sunday afternoon. Maher’s killing has left Wyoming’s second largest city devastated and shellshocked, asking how this could happen there.
Local Facebook pages have blown up with messages of sorry, sympathy and support for the teen’s family. A candlelight vigil has been planned along with fundraisers for the family.
In the meantime, two other teens have been charged as adults with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
Maher went to the mall after getting a message from his girlfriend that she and a friend were being harassed, according to court records. There, he encountered the other teens and was assaulted, then stabbed while on the ground.
By Tuesday afternoon, a small memorial had begun to take shape at the west entrance of the Eastside Mall, where Maher was attacked. People have left flowers, candles and a cross.
A Kelly Walsh High School freshman stopped to take a photo of the display. He said he had attended school with the two teens accused in Maher’s death at Centennial Middle School in Casper. He did not know Maher, but is saddened by his death.
“I just really feel bad for him and his family,” he said. “It’s terrible that it happened.”
‘My Heart Is Breaking’
The incident also hung over Monday’s meeting of the Natrona County School District Board of Trustees, with Vice Chair Dana Howie closing the meeting addressing the devastating news.
“We’ve had a tragedy in our district. We lost a child yesterday to a violent action,” she said. “And my heart is breaking for all of the families involved in this situation. And that is all that I have to say.”
During public comment at the meeting, The Rev. Dee Lundberg of the United Church of Christ in Casper said she believes the community needs to look inward to find answers and learn how to respond.
“I wanted to start with a word of condolence to the family and friends and classmates of the young man whose life was taken yesterday,” she said. “For the victim for sure, and for the perpetrators, we must pledge to be better models of how to do community — how to get along, manage our differences and work together rather than seek division. Or worst yet, seek to harm those that we don’t like.”
Lundberg said teachers and leaders must go beyond basic lessons and become models for others.
“I am not blaming anyone in this room. Who knows what possessed the perpetrators, what their life circumstances were,” she said. “But we do have the power to be better models of community and not division and how we choose to conduct ourselves.”
Candlelight Vigil
Several Facebook posts Tuesday outlined plans for a candlelight vigil for Bobby Maher on Thursday. Tentative plans for the event are 7 p.m. at David Street Station in downtown Casper.
A GoFundMe page set up for the Maher family had 455 donations and nearly $30,000 raised as of Tuesday evening.
It states that Bobby Maher leaves behind his mom, Mary; dad, Robert; and three brothers.
“He was an amazing son, brother, friend and teammate!” the page says. “Bobby loved his family and was an amazing kid not only in school, but in general. He had such as amazing passion for playing basketball. We are heartbroken and will never be the same without him. Any help will be greatly appreciated by his family.”
At school Tuesday, many of Maher’s peers wore blue in support of the classmate, according to reports.
A former school employee posted this remembrance about Maher.
“I knew Bobby when I worked at his school,” she wrote. “He was pretty quiet, but was very good at sports from what I could tell out on the field at lunch. He could throw and catch the football easily. Out if all the boys there, he didn't give me any trouble.”
A classmate added that, “I knew Bobby from our history class. It is safe to say that he was a joy to the class and very bright...I am very sorry for your loss of an amazing person.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
