A shooting at a Rhode Island high school hockey game left three dead and three wounded in what officials said may have been a “targeted incident” stemming from a “family dispute,” with one of the victims being the suspect’s son, local media reported.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves confirmed the suspect was among the three dead.
The shooting occurred Monday afternoon during a high school hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena ice rink in Pawtucket. The suspect, identified by police as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Goncalves said.
“It appears that a lone individual, the suspect, entered the arena to watch a family member’s hockey game. And unfortunately, at that time, shots were fired,” Goncalves said at a news conference Monday night. “It was a targeted incident, it could have been a family dispute.”
Goncalves said there was “no police involvement” in the killing of the suspect. Local authorities have not released the names of the victims and Goncalves said the investigation is ongoing.
The shooting was reported online during the live stream. NBC News confirmed the video, reporting that “a series of about a dozen shots were heard.” The video has since been removed.
According to Goncalves, a man at the hockey game intervened during the shooting by trying to subdue the suspect. Goncalves credited the effort with helping the incident end quickly.
The mayor of North Providence, Charles Lombardi, told NBC 10 News that one of the victims was the suspect’s son.
One of the players interviewed by NBC in Pawtucket said they heard gunshots while they were playing.
“I was on the ice and I thought it was balloons at first,” Olin told the Lawrence outlet. “It was like bop, bop and I thought it was balloons, but it just kept going.
“Me and my teammates ran straight to the locker room, and we bunkered down and we pressed against the door and tried to stay safe there. But, no, it was too scary,” Lawrence added.
The Rhode Island Interscholastic League said Monday it has suspended all games as a result of the shooting.
The state’s governor, Dan McKee, said he was devastated by the shooting and was providing mental health resources to people affected.
“As a governor, parent and former coach, my heart goes out to the victims, families, students and everyone affected by the devastating shooting at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket,” McKee said in a statement. “I pray for Rhode Island.”
