PAWTUCKET – Two people were killed and three others injured in a shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena ice rink on Monday during a high school hockey game between two co-op teams, according to news reports. The suspect is also dead.
The names and ages of the victims were not immediately available, but WJAR-TV NBC 10 reported that police said the people killed were adults. The other victims were in critical condition Monday afternoon, according to WJAR-TV.
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Police Chief Tina Goncalves said a family dispute appears to have led to the violence. She said police are still investigating.
Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien called the shooting “tragic” but “an isolated incident,” WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported.
“Our state is grieving again,” Gov. Daniel J. McKee said in an emailed statement. “As Governor, a parent, and a former coach, my heart breaks for the victims, families, students, and everyone impacted by the devastating shooting at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket.”
McKee expressed his appreciation for the first responders, hospital staff, mental health workers, R.I. Public Transit Authority drivers “and all those who responded quickly and bravely.”
“A tragedy like this is incredibly difficult for people of any age to process,” McKee conintued in his statement, adding that anyone in need of support can call 9-8-8 “to speak with someone who is there to listen.”
McKee said agencies across his administration are working together to provide additional mental health resources to students and families this week.
“I’ve spoken to the municipal leaders whose communities have been shaken by this shooting to assure them that they have the state’s full support. “I am praying for Rhode Island.”
A video of the shooting from the livestream of the game shows players on the ice being interrupted by the sounds of rapid gunfire, which appeared to come from the stands. Players are seen dashing off the ice away from the gunfire and attendees running from the stands.
Providence Business News contributed to this report.
(UPDATE adds comments from Gov. Daniel J. McKee in paragraphs 5-9.)
