- The police chief says the shooting appears targeted.
- A video posted on social media shows teenagers fleeing as gunshots ring out.
- Three are hospitalized, all in critical condition.
At least two people were killed and three injured Monday in a shooting at a skating rink in Pawtucket, in the northeastern United States, authorities said, with images posted on social media showing frightened teenagers fleeing the sound of gunfire.
“We have three dead. The suspect, then two victims, and finally three in the hospital,” said Rhode Island Community Police Chief Tina Goncalves.
She added that initial investigations suggested the shooting was targeted and “could be a domestic dispute.”
No details were immediately released on the identity of the victims, but Goncalves said the injured were in “critical condition.”
Mass shootings are common in the United States, where lax gun control laws mean access to weapons is relatively easy.
In 2025, there were more than 400 mass shootings in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which counts incidents in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.
Gun violence as a whole claimed the lives of at least 14,703 people last year, not including suicides.
Monday’s shooting, which occurred during a high school ice hockey game, came two months after a mass shooting at Brown University, located just 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) away.
Images shared on social media, which have not been verified by AFPshowed players, students and spectators at Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket fleeing for cover as gunshots rang out above the indoor rink.
“After the shots were fired, my teammates and I ran straight to the locker room,” an eyewitness who was on the ice when the shots were fired told the local news channel. WJAR.
“We leaned against the door and tried to stay safe there.”
At least 12 gunshots can be heard in the social media footage, which appears to have been taken during a live stream of the game.
The teams initially continued to play, but as the staccato shots continued, players fled to the edges of the rink or made a break toward the exits, with spectators seen ducking for cover.
