Credit: WMUR-TV & ABC News
Chilling Footage Shows Moment Dad Open Fires At High School Ice Hockey Game
Footage captured the moment two people were shot dead and three others were injured at a high school ice hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Monday (February 16).
Officers were called to the critically unfolding situation at around 2:30 p.m. local time, after an active shooter opened fire at the Lynch Arena.
The Rhode Island shooting took place on ‘senior night’ for the Blackstone Valley Schools’ ice hockey teams, but the day took a devastating turn.
Don Grebien, the mayor of Pawtucket, described the event as a ‘terrible tragedy.’
‘It was very scary’
Speaking about the horrifying Rhode Island shooting, Grebien said: “Family and friends were gathered today at a hockey game at Lynch Arena to celebrate senior night, bringing together communities across the state.
“Instead, an act of senseless violence has taken the lives of two innocent victims, with the suspect taking his own life.”
Students gave their account of what unfolded following the incident, as one recalled hearing what sounded like balloons popping in the arena.
Coventry player Olin Lawrence claimed: “I was on the ice and I thought it was balloons at first – it was like ‘bop, bop,’ and I thought it was balloons, but this kept going – and it was actually gunshots.
“Me and my teammates ran right to the locker room and we just bunkered up and we pressed against the door and we tried to stay safe down there.
“But it was very scary, we were very nervous.”
People are ‘fighting for their lives’
Following the fatal Rhode Island shooting, it’s understood that three people remain in a critical condition.
Pawtucket Police Department Chief Tina Goncalves shared that a bystander who tried to stop the gunman likely stopped the senseless violence from being worse.
She added: “A good Samaritan stepped in and interjected in this scene, and that’s probably what led to a swift end of this tragic event.”
FBI Director, Kash Patel, said that the FBI are now conducting an investigation, and he further pledged the agency’s support.
“In the meantime, please pray for the victims and their families,” he said.
Who was the shooter?
Police reported that the suspected shooter was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The suspect was later identified as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, a biological male who appeared to identify as a woman and went by the name Roberta Esposito.
Goncalves said: “This was a targeted event. It looked like a family dispute and there was one individual that was a family friend.”
According to reports, the suspect shot at their wife and their three children before turning the gun on themself.
A woman claimed that her father was the shooter when speaking to WCVB, saying: “He shot my family, and he’s dead now. He has mental health issues.”
Disturbing footage is locked
In the footage, students can be seen on the ice when the first gunshots are heard.
The first few shots are separated by just seconds, the rest then occur in frantic succession.
People can be seen darting for exits in the heartbreaking clip, with players ducking beneath benches in order to avoid the deadly gunshots.
The students on the ice seemed to be unaware of what was happening until gunshots had been fired numerous times.
Rhode Island Governor, Dan Mckee, said that his thoughts are with the victims.
In a statement, he said: “As Governor, a parent, and a former coach, my heart breaks for the victims, families, students and everyone impacted by the devastating shooting at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket.”
He went on to thank the first responders who were at the scene to help, as well as hospital staff and others.
Officers found one of the victims dead inside the arena, while another died at hospital, both of which appear to be adults.
The ice hockey game was streamed live for those at home who couldn’t attend, so the horrifying moment was captured in its entirety.
A spokesperson from the platform that streamed the game said access to the footage has now been locked.
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