PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) — A tragic incident unfolded during a Rhode Island youth hockey game, resulting in three fatalities, including the shooter, and three individuals in critical condition on Monday night, authorities reported.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves revealed that a bystander intervened to stop the violence during the hockey game, where the shooter, identified as Robert Dorgan, fatally shot two adults before taking his own life. The police chief suggested that the incident may have stemmed from a family dispute.
Investigations are ongoing as authorities piece together the events at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena. Witnesses described chaotic scenes of players and spectators fleeing in fear as shots rang out.
Following the incident, tearful families and high school hockey players embraced outside the arena before departing the area.
Mayor Don Grebien expressed sorrow over the tragedy, emphasizing the impact on high school students and families attending a recreational event.
The shooting in Pawtucket occurred less than two months after a separate gun violence incident at Brown University, where multiple lives were lost. Despite the tragedies, authorities clarified that the two events were unrelated.
Pawtucket, located near Providence and the Massachusetts border, is a city with a population of around 80,000 and was historically recognized as the headquarters of Hasbro.
This corrected story clarifies that the shooting transpired on Monday, not Tuesday.
Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed to this report.
