LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — It’s a dilemma no business owner should have to face: whether to reopen after a mass shooting.

The answer didn’t come easily to Justin and Samantha Juray. But when they did decide to reopen their Maine bowling alley, they didn’t hold back.

The reopening on Friday comes six months after a gunman killed eight people at the bowling alley before driving to a nearby bar and pool hall and killing 10 more.

Patrons were welcomed with messages of resilience at the end of each lane, bright paint on the walls and new floors. The Lewiston venue has undergone a complete makeover, giving it a vibrant, airy feel.

  • The eight people who were killed last October while bowling at Just In Time Recreation are memorialized on a table top at the bowling alley, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
  • Bowling pins labeled for each of the 18 victims of the Oct. 25, 2023, mass shooting are displayed at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. An additional 10 people were killed at nearby bar. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
  • Photos of local scenes have been added to the decor at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October’s mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
  • Last-minute decorations are installed prior to the reopening of Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
  • A crowd of bowlers sign up for a lane during the reopening of Just In Time Recreation, six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
  • Justin Juray, right, owner of Just In Time Recreation, bumps fists with local bowler Moe St. Pierre, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
    Justin Juray, right, owner of Just In Time Recreation, bumps fists with local bowler Moe St. Pierre, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October’s mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
  • Colin Robinson bowls at Just In Time Recreation during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)