Following the death of a man during an apparent brawl at Gillette Stadium, a Miami Dolphins running back has asked Dolphins fans to support the New Hampshire victim’s family.
Dale Mooney, 52, of Newmarket, New Hampshire, was pronounced dead after falling at Gillette Stadium during the Patriots’ game against the Dolphins.
Salvon Ahmed shared a link to the GoFundMe campaign benefiting Mooney’s family on X, then known as Twitter, and praised Dolphins fans for being “the best at stuff like this.”
“I know Dolphins fans are the best at stuff like this, so go show your support for this guy’s family. Things like this should never happen during a football game,” Ahmed added. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Mooney’s family and friends,” NFL Vice President of Communications Brian McCarthy stated, according to the publication. “… We condemn the actions of a small group of fans who interfere with the enjoyment of others.” We continue to collaborate closely with our clubs and law enforcement agencies to advance our comprehensive fan conduct and stadium security efforts.”The Norfolk County District Attorney’s office stated in a statement Wednesday that preliminary postmortem results revealed a “medical condition” but did not indicate physical harm.
Witnesses claim Mooney was hit in the face, collapsed, and never regained consciousness throughout the game.
Joey Kilmartin of Nashua, New Hampshire, recalled shouting back and forth throughout the game from one area of the audience and another, and near the end of the fourth quarter, he spotted Mooney in a violent conflict with other fans.
“The Dolphins fan walks over and plainly punches him in the face,” Kilmartin explained. “(He) gets knocked out, and you can tell right away he’s not okay.”
Walking into a disagreement with Dolphins fans, which leads to a violent altercation, according to the 40-second video tape. Mooney is seen struggling with another man in a gray sweater, as two others attempt to try to separate them.
The Patriots issued the following statement Tuesday:
“We are devastated to learn of the untimely death of Dale Mooney, a devoted Patriots fan and 30-year season ticket holder, who died while attending last Sunday night’s Patriots game. We continue to collaborate with local authorities to help them with their ongoing investigations. We send our deepest regrets and condolences to Dale’s family and all those who are mourning his loss.”
