A father attending a youth hockey game on Monday turned a family dispute into tragedy when he shot five of his relatives, resulting in the deaths of two before taking his own life.
According to WPRI, the shooter was the father of a senior at North Providence High School. Tragically, he ended the lives of the student’s mother and one sibling, while the remaining three family members are fighting for survival at Rhode Island Hospital.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves noted that the incident appeared to have arisen from a “family dispute,” as reported by WNAC.
This horrific event unfolded during a match involving boys’ teams from Coventry/Johnson and Blackstone Valley Co-op, as detailed by the Providence Journal.
The Journal also reported that footage from a live-streaming service captured the sound of approximately 13 gunshots within a six-second span, ending with a final shot 11 seconds later. Although the shooting took place off-camera, those present took a few moments to comprehend the situation before rushing to safety.
“Our community faced an unimaginable tragedy at Dennis M. Lynch Arena today,” remarked Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien. “What was meant to be a joyful gathering of families, students, and supporters for the Blackstone Valley Schools cooperative hockey team’s Senior Night against the Coventry–Johnston cooperative team, sadly descended into chaos and fear.”
Officials said one of the victims of the shooting was pronounced dead at the scene, while four others were transported to a hospital, where one of them died, WNAC said.
The names of the victims and the killer have not been released.
