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Pawtucket hockey shooting
On Monday, Feb. 16, a mass shooting erupted during high-school hockey games at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
“Two people were killed and three others critically wounded; among the victims was a young girl.”
Authorities identified the suspected gunman as Robert Dorgan (also known as Roberta Esposito) and said he died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.
Live-stream and social-media footage captured players and spectators diving for cover as shots rang out.
Reporting differs on the immediate casualty totals: several outlets describe two people killed and multiple critically wounded, while others say three people died, including the shooter.
Possible family-targeted attack
Authorities and witnesses described the attack as likely targeted and possibly tied to a family dispute, and some reports say the shooter was at the rink to watch a family member's game.
Outlets that spoke with or quoted investigators framed the incident as potentially domestic in motive, while eyewitness accounts and regional outlets reported that the shooter may have been targeting relatives in the stands.
Conflicting victim reports
Reports conflict about the victims' ages and whether a child was killed.
“Two people were killed and three others critically wounded; among the victims was a young girl.”
The Daily Record and Udaipur Kiran reported a young girl among the dead.
The Associated Press and kstp said the two non-suspect fatalities "appeared to be adults."
OANN reported that initial accounts of a child fatality were corrected and that "the two victims at the scene were adults, while three children connected to the suspect were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries."
Immediate response actions
Officials, witnesses and coverage describe immediate efforts that helped end the attack and the law-enforcement response.
Multiple outlets report that someone at the arena intervened or that a bystander tried to subdue or disarm the shooter.
Local police, the ATF and the FBI responded.
Roads were sealed, and schools worked to reunite students with families while mental-health resources were offered.
Investigation and agency response
Investigations were underway as officials reviewed video and interviewed witnesses, and authorities said they were withholding victims' names until families could be notified.
“Investigators have interviewed scores of witnesses, are reviewing video from the game, and said the two non-suspect fatalities appeared to be adults.”
The Associated Press and local outlets stated investigators believe the attack is unconnected to an earlier deadly shooting at Brown University, and agencies including the ATF and FBI are assisting with scene processing and interviews.
