East Providence, Rhode Island: Six in Custody After Sabin Point Park Shooting Leaves Man, 20, in Serious Condition

East Providence police took six people into custody on Wednesday after a shooting at Sabin Point Park in the Riverside neighborhood left a 20-year-old man in serious condition at Rhode Island Hospital.

Officers were called to the boat ramp at the park at about 11:35 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, for a report of a man shot, Police Chief Michael J. Rapoza said in a department release. Firefighters from the East Providence Fire Department treated the man at the scene, and an ambulance took him to Rhode Island Hospital with serious injuries. Police said on Wednesday night that he remained in serious condition. His name has not been released.

Arrests at the scene

Shortly after officers arrived, they found several suspects running from the scene and took them into custody, the department said. In an update issued on Wednesday night, police said three adults and three juveniles were in custody in connection with the shooting. All of the people involved are known to police, and there is no known threat to the public, the department said.

Investigators recovered a pistol during the investigation. The Rhode Island State Police Dive Team helped by searching the water near the ramp, but the search found no evidence, police said.

Charges and court

East Providence police are working with the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office to finalize charges. All six people in custody are expected to face felony assault and firearms related charges, the department said.

The three juveniles were remanded to the Rhode Island Training School. The three adults are scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday morning in District Court. Police have not released the names of the adults in custody, and this article does not name the juveniles.

Detectives from the department's Major Crimes unit and its Bureau of Criminal Identification are still investigating. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the East Providence Police Department at 401-435-7600.

A midday shooting at a waterfront park

Sabin Point Park sits on Shore Road in Riverside, on the east side of the Providence River. The park has a boat launch, a fishing pier, picnic tables and shoreline access, and it draws residents from Riverside and nearby neighborhoods through the day.

The gunfire came in the late morning, in daylight, at a public recreation area. Police said in their first release that there was no ongoing threat to the community, and the Wednesday night update repeated that there is no known threat to the public.

Police have not described a motive, and they have not said what led up to the shooting. The Providence Journal, reporting the first police account on Wednesday, said detectives were investigating at the ramp and that Chief Rapoza asked anyone with information to call the department.