Young girl killed in mass shooting during rival ice hockey match in Rhode Island
A suspected gunman is down after police responded to a mass shooting at a high school ice hockey match in Rhode Island.
Panicked families fled the scene at Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, after shots were fired on Monday afternoon.
The shooting brutally interrupted a hockey game between high school rivals Coventry and Blackstone Valley.
The Pawtucket mayor’s office confirmed a young girl had been killed in the shooting.
One of the dads reportedly tried to wrestle the gun out of the shooter’s hands but he had a second weapon, according to a witness who described him as a hero.
Initial reports suggest the suspect was killed in the stands.
Sadly, one of the victims was declared dead at the scene in the shopping district.
Branden Mello, a local sports editor said that gunshots erupted ‘from the stands behind the [Blackstone Valley] bench.’
Four victims have been taken to the hospital.
An employee at the Walgreens nearby told Target 12 that fans came charging into the pharmacy in a panic, saying there was a shooting.
The employee said they called 911 and hid terrified families inside the store.
WJAR reported that the superintendent of Coventry Public Schools confirmed ‘a serious reported incident at Lynch Arena … where our Boys Hockey team was playing.’
The statement added: ‘We have been informed that students are secured in multiple locations.’
Governor Dan McKee posted on X: ‘We are actively monitoring the shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket.
‘I just spoke with Mayor Grebien as well as Rhode Island State Police who are working with local law enforcement.
‘I am praying for Pawtucket and everyone involved.’