Two killed, three injured in shooting at ice rink in Pawtucket

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WJAR) — The Pawtucket mayor’s office said Monday that two people were killed and three people were injured in a shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena ice rink during a high school hockey game between two co-op teams.

The names and ages of the victims were not immediately available, but police described the two people who were killed as adults. The people in the hospital were in critical condition.

The mayor’s said the shooter was dead and that police were not looking for anyone else.

Police Chief Tina Goncalves said it appears a family dispute led to the violence. She said police were still gathering information from witnesses.

Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves gives a short statement at a news conference about a shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena.

“It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” Goncalves said. “We cannot release the names of the victims because obviously, we want to speak to the family, make sure the family is well aware of what happened before we release that information publicly.”

Police said the game was being livestreamed so people could watch it from home.

The teams that were playing were Coventry-Johnston co-op and St. Raphael-Providence Country Day-North Providence-North Smithfield co-op.

The shooting comes about two months after a gunman opened fire in a building at Brown University in Providence, killing two people and injuring nine.

St. Raphael Academy said “there was a horrific incident with an active shooter. We have been told none of our SRA family was injured.”

Coventry’s superintendent said all of town’s students were accounted for and safe.

“We are aware of a serious reported incident at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, where our Boys Hockey team was playing. Information is still developing, and we are activly working with event staff and local authorites to understand the situation,” the message said.

A person in a hockey jersey is shown with a group near the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, where one person was killed and four were injured in a shooting, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.

“We have been informed that students are secured in multiple locations. At this time, we are still working to confirm the status and location of all individuals. Our priority is the safety of our students and staff, and we are moving as quickly as possible to gather accurate information,” the message said.

Johnston Public Schools said, “We have confirmed that our Johnston High School student-athlete who was participating in the game is safe. We are also aware of another Johnston student who was in attendance, and that student is safe as well. At this time, to the best of our knowledge, no Johnston High School students were harmed during this incident.”

NBC 10’s Nicole Moeder reports that a girl was killed in a shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket.

RIPTA buses were being used in the effort to reunify families.

The Providence Bruins released a statement about the shooting.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic events at the High School Hockey game at Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket today. While we wait for more details, we share our support with the community and commend the first responders for all their efforts,” the team said.

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