A man allegedly grabbed a gun and struggled with a gunman who opened fire at a Rhode Island youth hockey game

Michael Black was at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Monday with his wife and their best friends to watch their high school friend’s son’s hockey game.

Black heard two pops, which he thought were two balloons in front of the group. Then there was a third pop.

“All I saw was that this person was holding a gun and the people in the second row,” said Black, of North Smithfield. “I didn’t look at my wife, I said run, run.

Black, 58, said he threw the weapon and his left hand was caught in the slide, so he could not fire. He was on top of the shooter, Black recalled in an interview Tuesday.

Robert Dorgan, 56, whose first name is Roberta, police say, shot and killed his ex-wife and oldest son during a game in Pawtucket, according to authorities. Dorgan’s other son was playing at the time, and was not injured, authorities said.

Three other people – the ex-wife’s parents and a family friend – were injured and remained in critical condition Tuesday, police said.

Black said that during the struggle with Dorgan, others who were present jumped on top of the shooter, too.

“He was trying to turn off the gun, but the gun didn’t work because my hand was in the way,” said Black.

Dorgan returned to Black, reached into his jacket and pulled out another gun that was identical to the first, Black said.

“He had this look of fear about him,” Black recalled.

Dorgan used a second gun to kill himself, Black and police said. “He just took it out of his pocket and put it in his mouth and shot himself,” said Black.

The cause of the shooting is still under investigation, and is expected to open Tuesday as investigators try to learn more, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said at a press conference.

Goncalves said the intervention of bystanders on Monday may have saved people’s lives.

Dorgan has attended other youth hockey games in the past, and it was unusual for them to attend, Goncalves said. Monday’s game was held to celebrate the Blackstone Valley Schools team’s “big night” with a game against the Coventry-Johnston league team. Both teams are made up of players from many schools.

“It was senior night, and there was no expectation or indication that there would be violence,” Goncalves said on Tuesday.

Black said he received a lot of support from friends who are firefighters or law enforcement, who told him there is a process and it will take time for him to recover emotionally.

But, Black said, he refuses to postpone a planned college visit with his son.

“This guy disturbed many lives, and many lives, until I decided that he would not disturb mine,” said Black, a retired businessman who had no knowledge of what happened on Monday.

Black praised Pawtucket police and other first responders, as well as ambulance and hospital personnel, for the way they handled the incident.

The nurse at the hospital asked Black how he was, and he said with tears in his eyes. His eyes were filled with tears.

“It was only a moment that helped,” he said. “I became human again.”

If you or someone you know is in trouble, call or text 988, or go to 988lifeline.org to access Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255 or visit TalkOfSuicide.com/resources.