A gunman opened fire during a youth hockey game at an ice rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Monday, resulting in three deaths including the shooter. Video footage captured players and spectators rushing for cover amid the gunfire. Authorities described the incident as a targeted domestic violence event involving a family dispute.
The shooting took place around 2 p.m. at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, about five miles northeast of Providence. It occurred during a game between Coventry and Blackstone Valley schools. According to video footage, shots rang out inside the rink, prompting fans in the stands to take cover while players and referees hurried off the ice.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves addressed the media, stating, "It appears this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute." The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) provided further details to FOX News, identifying the incident as domestic violence in which the gunman allegedly killed his wife and shot two of his children before turning the weapon on himself.
Reports indicate three people died in total: two victims and the suspect. A young girl was among those killed, with four others injured and hospitalized, per initial accounts. NBC 10 confirmed the death toll as three. The event unfolded rapidly, with CCTV footage showing the chaotic evacuation as people fled the scene.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, which has shocked the local community.
