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Did Pawtucket shooter have mental health issues? Gunman's daughter speaks out, claims dad was ‘very sick’
The daughter of the gunman who shot five people and killed two in a suspected “family dispute” at a Rhode Island high school hockey tournament has spoken out.
The daughter of the gunman who shot five people and killed two in a suspected “family dispute” at a Rhode Island high school hockey tournament has said that her father had various “mental health issues.” The woman, who did not reveal her name, told NewsCenter 5 while leaving the Pawtucket Police Department that “my father was the shooter.”
“He shot my family, and he’s dead now,” she said.
“He has mental health issues,” she further said, adding that her father was “very sick.”
Read More | Pawtucket Lynch Arena shooting: Videos capture chaos, police response amid gunfire at boys' hockey game
The woman said she was not sure who was killed or injured, but was going to the hospital to check.
What we know about the shooting
The incident took place at the Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, a few miles outside Providence, during a youth ice hockey game.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said at a press conference that the shooting is being investigated as a “family dispute.” While she did not reveal how exactly the shooter was related to the victims, local reports claimed the gunman was a father who shot his wife and three kids.
The gunman was found dead inside the Lynch Arena, alongside another victim. Another person died at the hospital, and three others are in critical condition, police said, according to the New York Post.
Among those who died was possibly a little girl, according to the Pawtucket mayor’s office.
Read More | 'Shooter was in the stands': First details emerge on Pawtucket ice rink shooting suspect
Shocking livestream footage revealed the moment the man opened fire after reportedly moving from the back of the stands to the front. As about 11 shots rang out, the players and spectators dove to the ground. Athletes on the ice rushed to the edge, seemingly trying to take cover behind the barrier, before they dashed towards the locker room.
Other people trapped on the bench hurried to the exit, some of them ditching their skates in the box. From there, some students ran to a nearby Walgreens, where staffers subsequently locked down the building and called the authorities.
According to a witness, the father of a player disarmed the gunman. However, he allegedly had another weapon and opened fire again.
At the arena were students from Coventry, Johnston, North Providence, and North Smithfield high schools, as well as others from St. Raphael Academy and Providence Country Day School.
