A tragic incident unfolded at Gillette Stadium on Sunday during the New England Patriots game against the Miami Dolphins, leading to the untimely death of 53-year-old Dale Mooney of New Hampshire.
Eyewitnesses at the scene have now revealed that it all started with Mooney being punched in the face by a Miami Dolphins fan.
Mooney had initially been treated by emergency medical technicians at the stadium and subsequently rushed to a nearby hospital after what was initially described as an “apparent medical event.”
Tragically, he was pronounced dead shortly before midnight.
Joey Kilmartin, a spectator who witnessed the incident, shed light on the heartbreaking scene: “The Dolphins fan walks over and clearly punches him in the face,” Kilmartin, hailing from Nashua, New Hampshire, told MassLive.
“(He) gets knocked out and you can tell right away he’s not OK.”
New England Patriots fan Dale Mooney killed following altercation with Dolphins fan at Gillette stadium 🙏 pic.twitter.com/uG6C6kzLuW
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) September 19, 2023
Kilmartin also revealed that Mooney had been involved in a physical altercation with other fans during the game. According to him, Mooney never regained consciousness after being punched, and EMTs were seen performing CPR on him before rushing him to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro.
“It’s an unfortunate situation. I feel bad for the family,” Kilmartin expressed, recounting the incident to Foxborough police. He also provided a video of the altercation to WCVB, which published images from the clip showing Mooney having his shirt pulled.
The footage from the incident captured Mooney approaching other fans on the 300 level of the stadium. Kilmartin described the scene, saying: “He basically grabbed another fan. They started tussling around for a few minutes. At one point, another fan walked over. He punched him … and the man just went out. It was pretty hard to watch.”
Mooney’s wife, Lisa, devastated by the loss of her husband, is seeking answers about the tragedy.
“I want to know what happened. What caused this?” she told WCVB. “I just don’t understand why people have to go to that extreme. Why can’t it just be fun? That’s all it’s supposed to be – a fun family event.”
Lisa further mentioned that her husband, a devoted father of two and a season ticket holder for 30 years, had attended the game with three friends who reported being taunted by other fans.
Ironic that scumbag Tyreek Hill called Patriots fans "some of the worst" when a Dolphins fan literally punched & killed a Patriots fan in the stands that night 🤦 pic.twitter.com/Ww4l2tzU3h
— Crazy Bills Fan (@CrazyBillsFan) September 19, 2023
She added that Dale had no known medical conditions that she was aware of.
As of now, no charges have been filed in connection with the incident, although Kilmartin informed MassLive that he witnessed law enforcement taking one man into custody.
Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office have taken charge of the ongoing investigation, and autopsy results are pending.