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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Michael Black was seated in the stands at a hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, when he heard what he first thought were “popping balloons” before realizing the noise was gunfire, according to the Associated Press. As dozens of people rushed out of the Rhode Island arena, Black told his wife to “run, run,” then moved toward the shooter’s handgun, the report said. MSI previously reported police said the gunman was Robert Dorgan.

Black said he reached the shooter and tried to intervene as other bystanders ran in. He told AP that his left hand became caught in the chamber of Robert Dorgan’s gun, jamming it, and that he then briefly attempted to hold the shooter down. Black said Dorgan, described as a former bodybuilder, hoisted him into the air, before at least two other people rushed over to subdue Dorgan. The AP report said one of those bystanders could be seen on video putting Dorgan in a choke hold.

After Dorgan fell to the ground with Black on top of him, the report said Dorgan died from a self-inflicted gunshot. AP said Dorgan pulled out a second gun during the confrontation, and that Black and the shooter locked eyes as the gunfire ended.

Black described his decision-making in simple terms: in an AP interview, he said the first thought was his wife’s safety and the second was to focus on the gun. “Get the gun and then subdue the shooter,” he said. He added that he has no specialized emergency response training and said he ran a printing company until he retired in 2021.

In addition to Black, Pawtucket police credited other bystanders and first aid providers in the moments after the attack. The AP report said Pawtucket police named Robert Rattenni and Ryan Cordeiro among the “courageous citizens” who helped stop the shooting, and separately described Chris Librizzi and Glenn Narodowy as retired firefighters and EMTs who provided help. The report also said nurse Maryann Rattenni gave first aid in the immediate aftermath.

Pawtucket police told AP that the group “undoubtedly prevented further injury and increased the chances of survival for the injured.” After the shooting, Black said a nurse called him a hero while he was being treated for his injured hand, but he said he did not feel like a hero at the moment. He described the label as arriving amid tears and a need to decompress rather than a sense of triumph.

Police later identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, Pawtucket officials said. The AP report said Dorgan also went by Robert Dorgan’s other names, and that the gunman’s ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, and their adult son, Aidan Dorgan, were killed in the shooting. The report said three others were injured and remained in critical condition Wednesday: Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and family friend Thomas Geruso.

The AP report also described survivors’ efforts to understand the attack and its targets. It said one of the more puzzling unanswered questions was why Dorgan chose the Dennis M. Lynch arena, which was described as familiar to Dorgan’s family, including Aidan Dorgan playing hockey and Dorgan attending earlier matches. The report said Amanda Wallace-Hubbard, who was in the stands, credited Black with keeping her alive because she was likely next in line to be shot.

Even as the shooting response drew praise, the AP report said authorities have not directly said whether Dorgan was transgender and have said gender identity questions are not relevant to the investigation. The report said court records from Dorgan’s past show gender identity was cited as a contributing factor in the wife’s divorce filing in 2020, and that Dorgan’s X account mentioned being transgender and sharing far-right ideologies.

Black said after the attack he canceled plans to visit South Carolina with his son, then later reconsidered and went on the trip. In a Zoom interview from South Carolina, Black said he viewed the outcome as a mix of grief and relief, describing it as “fortunate,” while also saying he was “saddened tremendously” by the loss and grateful that a small group could make a difference. He said he and his wife reunited in the hospital area after police escorted him outside in the parking lot, where she ran under yellow tape to embrace him.