WOONSOCKET, R.I. — A dramatic and tragic incident Monday evening in this northern Rhode Island city has left three people dead, including nursing-student 40-year-old Kimberly Pieranunzi. The case has been officially classified by the Woonsocket Police Department as a murder-suicide rooted in an apartment dispute.
According to police, at about 6:45 p.m. the department responded to gunshots at an apartment on 411 Rathbun Street in Woonsocket, where they discovered three people with fatal gunshot wounds. The shooter, identified as 24-year-old Sean Rivera, is believed to have killed Pieranunzi and her partner, 45-year-old Donald Roderick Jr., before taking his own life.
Investigators say the sequence began when Rivera, who lived in the apartment with his 19-year-old girlfriend (Pieranunzi’s daughter), and his girlfriend were engaged in an argument about their relationship. At some point, Rivera pulled a handgun and demanded sexual relations, according to the 19-year-old following the shooting. She fled to her mother’s bedroom after an alleged sexual assault, and Rivera followed. Police say he shot Pieranunzi multiple times in that bedroom. Her partner, Roderick, arrived home from work during the chaos and was killed when he entered. Rivera then turned the weapon on himself.
Pieranunzi had been a committed student in the LPN → RN bridging program at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), expected to graduate this December, according to the college’s statement. Her friends describe her as a hardworking mother and an empathetic classmate.
Police confirmed the handgun used in the incident was stolen from Maine, and stressed that the shooting was isolated to residents of the apartment—there is “no active threat to the public.
The case highlights two significant concerns for the region: the lethal intersection of intimate-partner violence and firearms, and the presence of a stolen weapon in a domestic setting. According to the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the presence of a firearm in a domestic violence incident raises the homicide risk fivefold for women.
As the community mourns, the CCRI nursing-program faculty have offered counseling support to students and staff affected by the news. In a gathering outside their Rathbun Street apartment, residents placed balloons and notes at a growing memorial.
Local law-enforcement agencies say they will continue the investigation into how the shooter obtained the stolen gun, and whether any other factors (such as previous complaints or protective orders) were relevant in the case. The Woonsocket Police have asked anyone with information to come forward.
In the wake of the tragedy, friends of Pieranunzi remember her not just as a student, but as a devoted mother who “would’ve done anything for her daughter.” Her daughter, who escaped unharmed, remains in counseling and in the care of friends and family.
FAQs
Q1: Who was Kimberly Pieranunzi?
A1: Kimberly Pieranunzi was a 40-year-old resident of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, a nursing-student at CCRI in the LPN-to-RN program expected to graduate in December.
Q2: What happened in the Woonsocket shooting incident involving her?
A2: On Monday evening, at an apartment on Rathbun Street in Woonsocket, a dispute inside the home escalated into a shooting. The shooter, 24-year-old Sean Rivera, allegedly shot Pieranunzi and her partner Donald Roderick Jr., then took his own life. His girlfriend, 19-years-old and Pieranunzi’s daughter, escaped.
Q3: Was anything recovered by the police?
A3: Yes. Police recovered the handgun used in the incident, and determined it was stolen from Maine.
Q4: Is there any ongoing threat to the community?
A4: According to the Woonsocket Police Department, the shooting was specific to the residents of the apartment and there is no active threat to the wider community.
Q5: How common are domestic violence-related murder-suicides involving firearms?
A5: While relatively rare compared to other forms of homicide, research published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows that more than half of all intimate-partner murder-suicides involve a firearm.
Q6: What does firearm access mean for domestic violence cases in Rhode Island?
A6: The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that when a firearm is present in a domestic violence situation, the homicide risk for women is five times greater than when no gun is present.
Q7: What support is available for those affected by domestic violence or this incident?
A7: Several resources exist, including the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV), Sojourner House, and others. Support hotlines, counseling, and emergency housing are available for survivors of domestic violence.
