Pawtucket, Rhode Island: In another case of gun violence in the US, three people, including the shooter, were killed during a youth hockey game at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket on Monday, authorities confirmed. Three others were hospitalised in critical condition.

Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said the shooter died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. "While police were not involved in the shooter's death, authorities were still investigating," she added.

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“It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” Goncalves said, without providing details about the suspect or the ages of the victims. She noted that both deceased victims appeared to be adults.

Authorities are working to piece together the events leading up to the shooting and are interviewing witnesses present at the arena. Video footage from the game is also under review. Unverified social media videos show players diving for cover and spectators fleeing after hearing gunshots.

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Outside the arena, families and high school players were visibly distraught. Many were seen hugging before boarding buses to leave the scene. Surrounding roads were closed as a heavy police presence and helicopter patrols continued.

Monday’s shooting follows a separate gun violence incident in Rhode Island nearly two months ago at Brown University. That attack resulted in the deaths of two students and injuries to nine others. The shooter later killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor before taking his own life.

“The fortunate thing is that the two incidents are not related, but it is very tragic,” Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien said. “These are high school kids. They were doing an event, they were playing with their families watching, a fun time, and it turned into this.”

Pawtucket, located just north of Providence and near the Massachusetts border, is a city of just under 80,000 residents and was formerly home to Hasbro’s headquarters.