Pawtucket, February 17, 2026 – The Europe Today: A young girl was killed and four others were hospitalized after a gunman opened fire during a high school boys’ hockey game at the Dennis M Lynch Arena on Monday afternoon, authorities confirmed.
The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. local time in Pawtucket, a few miles outside Providence, as teams from the Coventry-Johnston co-op and the St. Raphael-Providence Country Day-North Providence-North Smithfield co-op were competing.
According to local media reports, chaos erupted inside the indoor ice rink when gunfire rang out from the stands. The Pawtucket Times reported that shots were fired from behind one of the team benches, sending players, spectators, and staff scrambling for safety.
The suspected gunman is also dead following the shooting, officials said. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death.
Dan McKee confirmed that the shooting took place at the Dennis Lynch Arena and stated that state police were working in coordination with local law enforcement agencies in response to the incident.
“I am praying for Pawtucket and everyone involved,” the governor wrote in a post on X.
Emergency responders transported the injured victims to nearby hospitals for treatment. Officials have not disclosed the conditions of those hospitalized.
An investigation into the motive and sequence of events is ongoing.
