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Chaos erupted in the stands — and then something extraordinary happened. Inside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, gunfire shattered a youth hockey game as Robert Dorgan opened fire on his own family. But as panic spread and fans scrambled for cover, a handful of bystanders did the unthinkable — they ran toward the shooter. Michael Black thought the shots were popping balloons… until he saw the gun. He told his wife to run — then lunged, jamming his hand into the weapon to stop it from firing. Others piled on. A chokehold. A desperate struggle. Blood on the bleachers. Seconds that felt like forever. Police say those “courageous citizens” likely prevented even more deaths. Now Black is being called a hero — but he says he doesn’t feel like one. What drove ordinary spectators to risk everything in that split second… and how much worse could this have been if they hadn’t?

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When Rhode Island shooter started firing, bystanders jumped into action to end the carnage

Moments after Robert Dorgan started shooting family members at a hockey game, people in the stands rushed toward the shooter. Among them was Michael Black who recalled hearing the shots and lunging for Dorgan’s gun. (AP Video: Rodrique Ngowi)

In this image taken from video, Michael Black, a Rhode Island man who helped stop a shooter at a high school hockey game on Monday, holds up his injured hand during an interview with The Associated Press, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 in Spartanburg, S.C. (AP Photo)

2 of 6 | In this image taken from video, Michael Black, a Rhode Island man who helped stop a shooter at a high school hockey game on Monday, holds up his injured hand during an interview with The Associated Press, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 in Spartanburg, S.C. (AP Photo)

In this image taken from video, Michael Black, a Rhode Island man who helped stop a shooter at a high school hockey game on Monday, gestures during an interview with The Associated Press, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 in Spartanburg, S.C. (AP Photo)

3 of 6 | In this image taken from video, Michael Black, a Rhode Island man who helped stop a shooter at a high school hockey game on Monday, gestures during an interview with The Associated Press, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 in Spartanburg, S.C. (AP Photo)

Police congregate near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting occurred at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

4 of 6 | Police congregate near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting occurred at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Police and ATF agents stand near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

5 of 6 | Police and ATF agents stand near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Police continue to tape off the Dennis M. Lynch arena a day after a deadly shooting during a youth hockey game on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Pawtucket, R.I. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi)

6 of 6 | Police continue to tape off the Dennis M. Lynch arena a day after a deadly shooting during a youth hockey game on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Pawtucket, R.I. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Sitting in the stands at a hockey game, Michael Black heard what he thought was popping balloons before quickly realizing it was gunfire. As dozens of people rushed out of the Rhode Island arena, Black told his wife to “run, run” and then lunged toward the shooter’s handgun.

Black managed to get his left hand caught in the chamber of Robert Dorgan’s gun, jamming it and then briefly attempted to hold Dorgan down. But Dorgan, a former bodybuilder, hoisted Black into the air before at least two other bystanders rushed over to subdue the shooter. One of them could be seen on video putting Dorgan into a choke hold.

Dorgan fell to the ground, with the 58-year-old Black on top of him. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot after pulling out a second gun as the two locked eyes. Black never heard Dorgan say a word.

“The first thought was the safety of my wife. And the second thought was, because the bullets were coming out, was to focus in on the gun,” said Black, who ran a printing company until he retired in 2021 and has no specialized emergency response training. “Get the gun and then subdue the shooter.”

A Rhode Island man is being called a hero for stopping a gunman at an ice rink. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.

Pawtucket police have said the shooter behind the deadly ice rink tragedy on Monday was Robert Dorgan, who also went by Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano.

Dorgan’s ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and adult son Aidan Dorgan were killed in the shooting, and three others were injured: Rhonda Dorgan’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan; and a family friend, Thomas Geruso, all of whom remained in critical condition Wednesday.

‘Courageous citizens’ help stop tragedy

Along with Black, Robert Rattenni and Ryan Cordeiro are being credited as subduing the suspect. Separately, Chris Librizzi and Glenn Narodowy, both retired Rhode Island firefighters and EMTs, and nurse Maryann Rattenni provided first aid in the immediate aftermath.

Pawtucket police say this group of “courageous citizens” who rushed to intervene in the attack “undoubtedly prevented further injury and increased the chances of survival for the injured.”

“I look at it as being fortunate, saddened tremendously in the loss, but fortunate that a small group of people could make a difference,” Black said in a Zoom interview Thursday from South Carolina where he was on a college visit with his son.

Police continue to tape off the Dennis M. Lynch arena a day after a deadly shooting during a youth hockey game on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Pawtucket, R.I. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi)

Police continue to tape off the Dennis M. Lynch arena a day after a deadly shooting during a youth hockey game on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Pawtucket, R.I. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi)

Police and ATF agents stand near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Police and ATF agents stand near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

One of the more puzzling unsolved questions surrounding the ice rink shooting is over why Dorgan chose the Dennis M. Lynch arena. It was a familiar spot for Dorgan’s family, with Aidan Dorgan, 23, playing hockey and had once hoped to be recruited by a college hockey team. He’d shown up Monday to watch his little brother’s hockey match with his mom, grandparents and other family. Dorgan had also been known to frequent the arena to watch family matches.

On Monday, Amanda Wallace-Hubbard, Aidan Dorgan’s sister and stepdaughter to Rhonda Dorgan, was in the stands. She has since credited Black as the reason she’s still alive since she was likely next in line to have been shot.

Black also said a detective reached out to him Tuesday to say that one of Dorgan’s daughters wanted to thank him for his efforts.

Survivors grapple with hero title

Authorities have not directly said that Dorgan was transgender and have said questions around Dorgan’s gender identity are not relevant to their investigation surrounding the case.

However, court records from Dorgan’s past show that gender identity was at least one of the contributing factors to Dorgan’s wife filing for divorce in 2020 after nearly 30 years of marriage. Dorgan’s X account mentions being transgender and sharing far-right ideologies.

With Dorgan dead, other bystanders rushed to provide treatment for the five people who had been shot and were lying between the bleachers. Blood was everywhere. Police arrived within minutes, and Black with his injured hand was escorted outside in the parking lot where he reunited with his wife.

“My wife saw me and she ran underneath the yellow tape, kind of grabbed me from behind, and we gave a big hug,” Black said. “She said, ‘I heard you helped with the shooter. And she says, what’s all the blood? I said, ’I got my hand caught in the gun.’ And then she said, ‘Honey, I don’t know whether I should be proud of you, but I’m pissed off at you for putting yourself in that situation.’”

Police congregate near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting occurred at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Police congregate near the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting occurred at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

As he was sitting in the hospital getting treatment on his injured hand, Black recalled a nurse calling him a hero — a label that has repeatedly been applied to all three bystanders in recent days.

“I said I don’t feel like I’m a hero right now,” Black said. “I looked up and I was feeling for the family. So I started getting some tears in my eyes. And then she got tears in her eyes, too. It was just a moment of decompression at that point.”

Black said after the shooting he initially canceled plans to take his son on a college visit to South Carolina before reconsidering and going ahead with the trip.

“About an hour and a half later, as I was decompressing a little bit, I was on my couch, the TV, and I had my chocolate Lab next to me, and I started thinking that I’m not going to allow this shooter to change my life,” he said. “I’m not going to allow him to start, you know, dictating or making me afraid.”

They tracked 1.2 million babies for a decade — and the “meat myth” didn’t survive the data. A massive national study led by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Israel’s Health Ministry followed infants from vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous households — and found their growth by age 2 was nearly identical. Weight. Height. Head circumference. Across the board, babies raised in plant-based homes developed along the same trajectories as their meat-eating peers. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed health data from 2014 to 2023 — covering about 70% of children nationwide. In Israel, nearly 95% of babies attend government wellness clinics, creating one of the largest infant nutrition datasets ever examined. Yes, vegan infants showed slightly higher odds of being underweight in the first 60 days. But by 24 months? The difference disappeared. Stunting rates were low across all groups. No significant developmental gaps. Researchers say the key isn’t meat — it’s planning. Well-balanced plant-based diets, proper prenatal care, and nutritional guidance matter more than whether chicken or tofu is on the menu. And then there’s iron — the nutrient critics always point to. According to the researchers, plant foods like legumes often contain more iron than meat. While absorption differs, families who plan carefully appear to balance it out. The bigger warning? Ultra-processed food. Vegan junk food exists too — and that’s where real risk may lie. So if nearly 1.2 million data points show no developmental disadvantage… Why does the myth still persist? Full story in the comments.
They tracked 1.2 million babies for a decade — and the “meat myth” didn’t survive the data. A massive national study led by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Israel’s Health Ministry followed infants from vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous households — and found their growth by age 2 was nearly identical. Weight. Height. Head circumference. Across the board, babies raised in plant-based homes developed along the same trajectories as their meat-eating peers. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed health data from 2014 to 2023 — covering about 70% of children nationwide. In Israel, nearly 95% of babies attend government wellness clinics, creating one of the largest infant nutrition datasets ever examined. Yes, vegan infants showed slightly higher odds of being underweight in the first 60 days. But by 24 months? The difference disappeared. Stunting rates were low across all groups. No significant developmental gaps. Researchers say the key isn’t meat — it’s planning. Well-balanced plant-based diets, proper prenatal care, and nutritional guidance matter more than whether chicken or tofu is on the menu. And then there’s iron — the nutrient critics always point to. According to the researchers, plant foods like legumes often contain more iron than meat. While absorption differs, families who plan carefully appear to balance it out. The bigger warning? Ultra-processed food. Vegan junk food exists too — and that’s where real risk may lie. So if nearly 1.2 million data points show no developmental disadvantage… Why does the myth still persist? Full story in the comments.

Vegetarian and vegan babies develop at same rate as meat-eating peers – Israeli study Big-data study by Ben-Gurion…

A simple brain game cut dementia risk by 26% — even 20 years later. Not a miracle drug. Not a new surgery. Just targeted “speed” exercises that retrain how fast your brain processes information. A study published in the Alzheimer’s Association research journal found that participants who practiced specific brain speed exercises — and followed up with booster sessions — were significantly less likely to develop dementia two decades later. Here’s what makes it different: it’s not about memorizing word lists. It’s about forcing the brain to move faster. Training eye coordination. Expanding field of vision. Processing visual and auditory signals more quickly. According to Dr. Perminder Bhatia, when dementia begins, brain connections slow down. Signals weaken. Neurotransmitters decline. But when you repeatedly challenge processing speed, those connections strengthen and fire more efficiently. One example? Programs like BrainHQ’s “Hawk Eye,” designed to sharpen visual speed and reaction time. The idea is adaptation — pushing the brain slightly beyond its comfort zone so it rewires itself. Doctors recommend starting after 50. But the research suggests anyone can benefit. And in a world where dementia risk rises sharply with age, that 26% reduction isn’t small. It raises a bigger question: if something this simple can reshape brain aging, why aren’t more people doing it? Full story in the comments.
A simple brain game cut dementia risk by 26% — even 20 years later. Not a miracle drug. Not a new surgery. Just targeted “speed” exercises that retrain how fast your brain processes information. A study published in the Alzheimer’s Association research journal found that participants who practiced specific brain speed exercises — and followed up with booster sessions — were significantly less likely to develop dementia two decades later. Here’s what makes it different: it’s not about memorizing word lists. It’s about forcing the brain to move faster. Training eye coordination. Expanding field of vision. Processing visual and auditory signals more quickly. According to Dr. Perminder Bhatia, when dementia begins, brain connections slow down. Signals weaken. Neurotransmitters decline. But when you repeatedly challenge processing speed, those connections strengthen and fire more efficiently. One example? Programs like BrainHQ’s “Hawk Eye,” designed to sharpen visual speed and reaction time. The idea is adaptation — pushing the brain slightly beyond its comfort zone so it rewires itself. Doctors recommend starting after 50. But the research suggests anyone can benefit. And in a world where dementia risk rises sharply with age, that 26% reduction isn’t small. It raises a bigger question: if something this simple can reshape brain aging, why aren’t more people doing it? Full story in the comments.

How brain exercises can help lower the risk of dementia An error has occurred. Please contact support for…

DNA from the glove. DNA from inside the house. No hit in the FBI database. Now the community is on edge. Neighbors are installing cameras. A small vigil grows outside her home. One man who knew her from church said, “We’ve never gone through this before.” Meanwhile, investigators have reportedly reviewed firearm purchases tied to nearly two dozen individuals. Tips are flooding in. The FBI previously raised its own reward to $100,000 — before this anonymous boost doubled it. And then there’s the theory that’s raising eyebrows: a veteran private investigator now believes a cartel may be involved — but not that she was taken across the border. He points to the suspect’s behavior on camera, the backpack, even the holster. He believes she may still be somewhere north of Tucson. Authorities have not confirmed that theory. What we know: A missing grandmother. A masked figure on camera. No DNA match. $200,000 on the table.
DNA from the glove. DNA from inside the house. No hit in the FBI database. Now the community is on edge. Neighbors are installing cameras. A small vigil grows outside her home. One man who knew her from church said, “We’ve never gone through this before.” Meanwhile, investigators have reportedly reviewed firearm purchases tied to nearly two dozen individuals. Tips are flooding in. The FBI previously raised its own reward to $100,000 — before this anonymous boost doubled it. And then there’s the theory that’s raising eyebrows: a veteran private investigator now believes a cartel may be involved — but not that she was taken across the border. He points to the suspect’s behavior on camera, the backpack, even the holster. He believes she may still be somewhere north of Tucson. Authorities have not confirmed that theory. What we know: A missing grandmother. A masked figure on camera. No DNA match. $200,000 on the table.

Anonymous donation raises reward for help finding Nancy Guthrie to over $200,000 An anonymous donation to the Pima…

Scientists just discovered they can detect the Epstein-Barr virus using ordinary human genome sequencing data — the same data originally collected to study our own genes. And what they found could change how we understand cancer, autoimmune disease, and immune failure. Nearly 90–95% of adults worldwide carry EBV. It infects most people in childhood, then buries itself inside B cells for life. Quiet. Dormant. Untouchable. Until it isn’t. EBV has long been linked to cancers like Hodgkin’s lymphoma and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. But one major mystery remained: how much virus is actually circulating in the blood — and why does it spike in some people?
Scientists just discovered they can detect the Epstein-Barr virus using ordinary human genome sequencing data — the same data originally collected to study our own genes. And what they found could change how we understand cancer, autoimmune disease, and immune failure. Nearly 90–95% of adults worldwide carry EBV. It infects most people in childhood, then buries itself inside B cells for life. Quiet. Dormant. Untouchable. Until it isn’t. EBV has long been linked to cancers like Hodgkin’s lymphoma and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. But one major mystery remained: how much virus is actually circulating in the blood — and why does it spike in some people?

New method estimates Epstein-Barr virus in blood using standard genome sequencing data This electron microscopic image of two…

“You have no proof she’s not alive,” Nanos said. And he insists this is still a rescue mission — not a recovery. Then he spoke directly to whoever knows where she is. “Take her to a park. Take her to a hospital. Just let her go. It will work out better for you in the long run.” Seventeen days. No confirmed suspect. A glove with unknown male DNA. A pacemaker that went silent. And a family waiting.
“You have no proof she’s not alive,” Nanos said. And he insists this is still a rescue mission — not a recovery. Then he spoke directly to whoever knows where she is. “Take her to a park. Take her to a hospital. Just let her go. It will work out better for you in the long run.” Seventeen days. No confirmed suspect. A glove with unknown male DNA. A pacemaker that went silent. And a family waiting.

‘Just let her go’: Sheriff issues plea to suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos…