‘A lot of shots’: Teen player recounts chaos as two adults killed at Rhode Island hockey game

A teen hockey player has shared the terrifying moments he and his teammates faced after a shooting at a high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, that left two adults dead and three more critically injured.

The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. on Monday at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena during a co-op boys hockey game. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said the shooter, Robert Dorgan, died from a self-inflicted gunshot and that the shooting stemmed from a family dispute.

Olin Lawrence, a sophomore goalie from Coventry High School, was on the ice when the first shots rang out. “At first, I didn’t even know what it was,” he told 7News Boston WHDH. “You just hear these loud noises. We’re used to the kids banging on the boards with their skates, so we thought it was that. I actually thought it was balloons at first. But it kept going on, so I ran right into the locker room after I got off the ice.”

Lawrence said he and his teammates barricaded themselves inside the locker room, pressing against the door and trying to stay safe.

“It was very scary. Loads of shots. We were all very nervous, just trying to see if everyone was okay,” he said. “It was very frantic. Everyone started running out of the building.”

He added that his parents and his girlfriend were at the game, and he said he felt relieved when he was reunited with them after the scene was secured. “It was very relieving. I was very happy to see them,” he said. “I’m overwhelmed, but I’m just trying to stay calm.”

High school sophomore Olin Lawrence was on the ice when a gunman opened fire during a youth hockey game inside an ice rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island Monday afternoon. https://t.co/iS5IqLmdrF

— 7News Boston WHDH (@7News) February 17, 2026

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Melissa Dunn, the mother of one of the players, also spoke to CBS News about what she saw from the stands.

“I tried to get back in the rink to find my son, and I actually saw them doing CPR in the stands. It was just really disturbing,” she said. Fortunately, both she and her son were unharmed.

Lawrence said the situation was shocking for everyone there. “You don’t know what it feels like until you’re actually in it. It’s very scary,” he said. “A lot of the parents were shaken up. Some were crying, not knowing the shooter was sitting right behind them.”

Kevin Hernandez, a local photographer who regularly covers events at the rink, said the shooting hit the community hard.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s devastating. Only a couple of months ago, we had a similar event at Brown, but this hits even closer to home. It’s really scary,” he said.

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook. Featured image via EricRueb/X and 7News Boston WHDH.