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Pawtucket shooting: North Smithfield father disarmed gunman during hockey game, hailed as hero
A North Smithfield father disarms the shooter after a shooting that killed a young girl and injured four others at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket
The mayor's office in Pawtucket announced Monday that a shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena ice rink during a high school hockey game between two co-op teams had initially killed a young girl and injured 4 others.
However, WJAR reporter Brian Crandall reported recently on X that one more victim has died after the shooting took place at the hockey rink.
Read more: Scary video shows moment shots were fired at school hockey game in Pawtucket
North Smithfield hero father saves the day
According to Branden Mello of the Pawtucket Times, a North Smithfield father is being hailed as a hero after he disarmed the gunman by grabbing the firearm from the shooter during the fatal incident.
Mello wrote on X that witnesses seated in the stands told him that the father headed towards the shooter and managed to wrestle the first gun out of his hand. However, witnesses reported that the shooter had a second weapon.
Read more: 'Shooter was in the stands': First details emerge on Pawtucket shooting suspect
Shooting characterzied as a domestic violence incident
According to Alexis McAdams of Fox News, the shooting was a murder-suicide that started as domestic violence.
According to the source, McAdams wrote, the gunman killed his wife and two of his children before shooting himself. The third child is currently hospitalized.
Police investigation underway
In a preliminary statement, St. Raphael Academy stated that there is an “active shooter” and that the students in attendance were in safety in multiple locations.
Pawtucket Police and the Rhode Island State Police established a perimeter around the arena after the shooting took place.
Videos circulating online showed spectators crouching behind seats and scrambling toward exits as gunshots were heard. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses to determine the sequence of events and whether the suspect acted alone.
Mello also reported that the Pawtucket police are transporting witnesses to the Pawtucket Police Station via RIPTA buses to inquire about their accounts on the shooting.
Fox News 11 reported that the shooter is reported to be dead, and the mayor's office announced that the police are not looking for anyone.
