PAWTUCKET, R.I. — What was supposed to be a high school hockey game turned into a scene of chaos — and a retired firefighter/EMT ran toward it.
Glenn Narodowy, 64, was in the stands on Feb. 16 at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, watching his girlfriend’s son play hockey when gunfire erupted, WCVB reports.
While others rushed for the exits, Narodowy moved in the opposite direction.
“I heard the gunshots,” he told WCVB, describing how he wove through the crowd fleeing the arena.
Police said the gunman, identified as Robert Dorgan — who also went by Roberta Esposito — fatally shot his ex-wife and son and wounded three others before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
‘It’s what I’ve been trained to do’
Narodowy spent 40 years as a firefighter and EMT. When he reached the victims, instinct and training took over.
“There weren’t any bandages, we had to use makeshift T-shirts and whatnot to stop the bleeding,” Narodowy told WCVB. “Quite a few people [were there] to help me. I hope I did something that would extend their life, maybe save a life. It’s what I’ve been trained to do.”
He began triaging victims where they fell.
“I got to the ex-wife’s boyfriend first. I covered his bullet wound, and I told somebody to hold pressure on that,” Narodowy said. “I went to the ex-wife, was there for three minutes, but she had stopped breathing within three minutes.”
Praising others who stepped in
Narodowy credited other bystanders — including those without first responder training — for stepping up during the chaos. Some helped render aid. Others tackled the shooter.
In the days since the shooting, Narodowy said sleep has been hard to come by. He told WCVB he has wrestled with guilt, wishing he had been closer when the shooting began so he might have reached victims sooner.
