A tragic incident unfolded at a high school hockey tournament in Rhode Island when a gunman shot two people dead before turning the weapon on himself, following what police described as a “family dispute.”
The alarming event occurred on Monday afternoon at Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, just a short drive from Providence.
Initially, Mayor Donald Grebien reported that one of the victims was a young girl. However, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves later clarified that both of those killed were adults.
Three additional individuals suffered critical injuries due to gunfire and were urgently transported to the hospital following the ‘targeted’ attack.
Chief Goncalves stated that the confrontation was contained within one family, and the investigation into the incident is still active.
Both the police chief and the mayor acknowledged the existence of live-stream footage circulating online, showing the harrowing moment when the shots rang out.
The clip showed players on the ice as approximately 12 gunshots rang out, leaving athletes and spectators running for their lives. Several of the players quickly skated off the ice while fans ducked down in their seats.
Hockey players on the ice were not harmed as the shooting occurred in the stands near spectators.
The scene outside of Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, after a gunman opened fire during a high school hockey tournament on Monday afternoon. At least one person, a young girl, has died in the gunfire, and four others are in hospital
A live stream captured the moment shots rang out during the game
Photos of the scene showed parents holding on tightly to their children as they evacuated to the parking lot
A father is seen is seen hugging his son outside of the ice arena
Police said the gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after raining bullets in the arena. Police are not looking for any other suspects at this time.
It was not a school day due to President’s Day, a federal holiday. The tournament was played between two interscholastic teams.
The hockey game was between a co-op team made up of Coventry and Johnston kids, playing against another co-op team from St. Raphael, PCD, North Providence, and North Smithfield schools. The tournament started at 2pm.
Tragic photos of the scene showed parents holding on tightly to their children as they evacuated to the parking lot on Monday afternoon.
Footage also showed parents with their hands on their heads and children – some still wearing their hockey uniforms – crying.
A large yellow school bus was also seen parked outside the arena, along with multiple police officers who roped off the crime scene.
Multiple ambulances were also seen arriving then quickly fleeing to nearby hospitals.
One victim was seen being taken out of the arena on a stretcher.
A woman is seen crying after the shooting at the Dennis M Lynch Arena on Monday
Police are seen at the scene of the shooting, where one young girl died
Officials said that the investigation is still active, but the shooter is dead
Several hockey players ran into a local convenience store dressed in their heavy gear, skates and with sticks in their hands
After shots rang out at the indoor hockey rink, terrified children ran into a nearby Walgreens pharmacy, screaming, an employee told WPRI.
One of the hockey players who was on the ice at the time of the shooting said he first thought he heard balloons popping. After realizing it was gunshots, he and his teammates ran and ‘bunkered up’ in a locker room.
Several hockey players ran into a local convenience store dressed in their heavy gear, skates and with sticks in their hands. The store manager was then seen locking the door behind them.
FBI Boston said the agency is aware of the deadly shooting and have ‘responded to the scene.’
‘We stand ready to assist our partners at the Pawtucket Police Department and @RIStatePolice with any and all resources they need.
‘At this time, there is no imminent threat to public safety and there has been no request for FBI assistance. However, the public should continue to avoid the area,’ the FBI added.
The shooting comes just two months after another gunman opened fire at Brown University, also located in Rhode Island.
The shooter, Cláudio Manuel Neves Valente, shot 11 people. Two students, Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, died. Nine others were injured.
They were in a study session held at the Ivy League’s School of Engineering Barus and Holley Building when a gunman burst in and opened fire.
Valente fired 40 rounds – causing terror among the college students.
One of the hockey players who was on the ice at the time of the shooting said he first thought he heard balloons popping. After realizing it was gunshots, he and his teammates ran and ‘bunkered up’ in a locker room
Shots reportedly rang out from the stands in the stadium on Monday afternoon
During the ordeal in December, the entire Rhode Island community was thrown into turmoil for days as police and the FBI tried to locate the suspect.
Brown canceled all remaining classes, exams, papers and projects for the semester at the time – and told students they could leave campus, underscoring the scale of the disruption and the gravity of the attack.
Rhode Island is the smallest US state by land area, covering just 1,214 square miles with 1.11 million residents.
The Daily Mail contacted the Pawtucket Police Department for comment.
