A shocking shooting at a Rhode Island youth hockey game on Monday has left three lives cut short and several others critically injured. The scene unfolded quickly when an intervention by someone else helped subdue the shooter, who had been in attendance to watch family members play. Authorities confirmed that the shooter, Robert Dorgan born in 1969, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police Chief Tina Goncalves stated that both victims identified were adults.
It appears this was a targeted event. Investigators are still piecing together the full circumstances of what transpired during the Dennis M. Lynch Arena hockey game in Pawtucket, just outside Providence. Eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage suggest players ducked for cover while spectators fled in panic after hearing gunshots echoing through the arena.
Outside the venue, scenes of heartache unfolded as families embraced each other amidst the emotional aftermath, with high school students and their parents boarding buses to leave the scene in silence. The shooting comes less than two months after another violent incident at Brown University where a gunman killed two students and wounded nine others before also taking the life of an MIT professor.
Claudio Neves Valente, who committed these acts, was later found dead from self-inflicted wounds in New Hampshire. Despite not being directly linked to the Rhode Island shooting, Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien described both events as “very tragic.” He highlighted how victims were high school students and families attending a recreational event, with Pawtucket recently home to Hasbro’s headquarters until recently.
This latest incident raises concerns about gun violence in youth sports settings. Officials are conducting extensive interviews with witnesses inside the arena to piece together what occurred on that fateful day. As community leaders grapple with how such an attack could happen, they stress the importance of continued support for safety measures and mental health resources aimed at addressing potential underlying issues among attendees.