3 people, including suspect, killed in shooting at Rhode Island high school hockey game; 3 others in critical condition
Three people, including the suspect, were killed in a shooting at a high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Monday.
The other three shooting victims were hospitalized in critical condition, according to Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves. He did not disclose the nature of his injuries. Pawtucket is located just north of Providence, near the Massachusetts border.
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Goncalves he told reporters said officers were dispatched to Dennis M. Lynch Arena to respond to reports of a shooting just before 2:30 p.m. ET. Police officers found the suspected attacker dead at the scene, likely from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Goncalves.
One victim was found dead at the scene, and another died after being taken to a local hospital. Goncalves did not disclose personal information or details about the victims or the attacker, explaining that the family has not yet been notified.
“It appears that this was a targeted incident, that there may have been a domestic dispute,” Goncalves told reporters.
The FBI and ATF were also on the scene, according to NBC News, and the FBI announced there was no additional threat to the community.
A father hugs his son outside Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, after a shooting at a high school hockey game.
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Goncalves declined to disclose other details about the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation. According to NBC News. It is unclear what type of weapon or weapons were used and what kind of relationship the suspected attacker had with the victims.
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“We have many witnesses at the station,” Goncalves told reporters. “So before we release the information, we will prepare a story to make sure the information is accurate and true.”
According to local NBC affiliate WJARThe conflict between the Coventry-Johnston cooperative and St. It took place during the hockey game between the Raphael-Providence Country Day-North Providence-North Smithfield cooperative. High schools in Pawtucket form co-op teams if they don’t have enough players to form a full team on their own, according to WJAR.
Citing livestream footage of the game, WJAR reported that gunshots were heard on the broadcast and players off the ice jumped from their seats onto the ice to slide to safety. None of those players were hit, according to WJAR.
According to WJAR, Coventry Superintendent Don Cowart said that Providence Country Day School, St. Raphael Academy, Johnston Public Schools and North Smithfield released statements either confirming that none of their students were shot or stating that they were unaware that any of their students were injured in the shooting.
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According to Associated PressAfter the clash, players still wearing their uniforms and their tearful families embraced outside the arena. Police closed the roads around the stadium to traffic while they continued their investigation.
