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A shooting during a youth hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, left two people dead and three others injured on Feb. 16, authorities said, the latest gun violence tragedy to rock the state.Pawtucket Police Department Chief Tina Goncalves said the shooting occurred during a high school hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, located about 5 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. Goncalves added that the shooting was targeted and appeared to be related to a family dispute."It appears that a lone individual, the suspect, entered the arena to watch the hockey game of a family member, and unfortunately, during that time, a shooting occurred," Goncalves said during a 9:30 p.m. local time news conference.Goncalves later said that the shooter, identified as Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito and was born in 1969, appeared to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have not identified any of the victims, but Goncalves said it appeared that both victims who were killed were adults.Goncalves said that one individual was "a family friend," but did not clarify whether the family friend was injured or killed. She noted that the three people injured in the shooting remained at the hospital in critical condition.Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Rhode Island State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and several local police departments, responded to the incident on Feb. 16. Goncalves said a Good Samaritan, who was not identified, stepped in and intervened during the shooting, attempting to subdue the suspect.Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien said the three victims injured in the shooting are "in the hospital fighting for their lives.""Tonight we are a city in mourning," Grebien said, stressing that the investigation remains active. He said authorities have already interviewed more than 100 witnesses.'People running out the back, kids in their skates'Chip DeLorenzo, a photographer at the game, told The Providence Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, described the scene as "pure chaos.""People running out the back, kids in their skates," DeLorenzo said. "Like, they came off, they were playing hockey, and they came off the ice in their skates and equipment, and they ran through the parking lot."In a video from the scene acquired by the Providence Journal, at least a dozen shots can be heard, and people are seen ducking down and seeking shelter before fleeing toward exits.School superintendent: Hockey players are safeNorth Providence Public Schools Superintendent Joseph Soho, whose students were playing in the game, said the shooting involved spectators at the arena. The shooting occurred during a boys' hockey game between Coventry/Johnston and Blackstone Valley Co-op, which includes players from several area schools.In a message to families, Soho said that all students involved in the game are safe."At this point, all other information is preliminary and has not been confirmed officially, but it is important to inform everyone that our students, and the students from the other communities who participate on the co-op hockey team, are safe," he wrote.Hockey community grieves tragedyFollowing the shooting, members of the hockey community near and far showed solidarity by placing a hockey stick outside their doors. People also shared their condolences on social media, sharing posts with the tag #sticksoutforRI and photos of hockey sticks on front porches.In a post on Facebook, Heather Gersten, a host of local radio station Lite 105, said the tradition "serves as a community-wide memorial, similar to lighting candles."Rhode Island governor: 'Our state is grieving again'Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, a former youth athletic coach himself, said his heart was broken in the wake of the shooting at Lynch Arena."A tragedy like this is incredibly difficult for people of any age to process. If you need support tonight, please call 9-8-8 to speak with someone who is there to listen," McKee said. "Agencies across my administration are working together to provide additional mental health resources to students and families this week."The shooting comes a little over two months after the mass shooting at Brown University on Dec. 13 that killed two students and wounded nine others. As he did during that shooting, McKee pledged his full support for the impacted communities."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," he said.The FBI office in Boston said they were aware of the shooting and ready to assist police. The agency said there was no active threat. Officials advised the public to avoid the area.USA TODAY has reached out to local and state police for additional information.Natalie Neysa Alund, Michael Loria and Thao Nguyen report for USA TODAY and Paul Edward Parker reports for The Providence Journal.Contributing: Mark Reynolds, Jacob Rousseau, Bill Corey, and Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal
