By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) — A tragic incident unfolded during a Rhode Island youth hockey game on Monday, resulting in three fatalities, including the suspect, according to authorities.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves informed the press that three other individuals are currently in critical condition and receiving medical treatment.
Chief Goncalves suggested that the shooting was targeted and may have stemmed from a family dispute. She refrained from providing specific details about the suspect or the victims’ ages but indicated that the deceased individuals were likely adults.
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A father hugs his son outside of the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
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A father hugs his son outside of the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Authorities are currently investigating the incident to reconstruct the sequence of events and interview witnesses at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, located just a few miles outside Providence. Additionally, they are analyzing video footage captured during the hockey game. Unverified videos circulating on social media depict players taking cover and spectators fleeing their seats upon hearing gunfire.
Outside the arena, grieving families and high school hockey players still in their uniforms were seen embracing before boarding a bus to depart the area. The roads surrounding the arena were closed off, with a heavy police presence and helicopters hovering above.
Monday’s tragedy occurred almost two months after Rhode Island experienced another devastating episode of gun violence at Brown University, where a gunman killed two students and injured nine others. The perpetrator later took the life of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor before being found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a storage facility in New Hampshire.
Mayor Don Grebien of Pawtucket expressed his sadness over the incidents, emphasizing that they are not linked but are nonetheless heartbreaking. He highlighted the young age of the individuals involved and the fact that they were participating in a high school event being watched by fans when the tragedy unfolded.
Situated just north of Providence and adjacent to the Massachusetts state border, Pawtucket, with a population of under 80,000, was formerly recognized as the headquarters of Hasbro.
Contributions to this report were made by Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska.
