A New England Patriots fan lost his life after the Dolphins-Patriots game on Sunday night.
Per Joey Kilmartin, who was a witness, 53-year-old Dale Mooney was punched in the face by a Dolphins fan and then became unconscious after hitting his head. He later passed away just before midnight on Sunday night.
“He [Mooney] went over to Section 311, and he basically engaged in mutual combat with another fan,” Kilmartin said. “A lot of people started trying to pull them apart… It looked like somebody was in the middle of them. And then a man in the Dolphins jersey reached over, and he connected with two punches to the victim’s head. It wasn’t something crazy or out of the ordinary until, 30 seconds later, the guy wasn’t getting up.”
“We are heartbroken to learn of the tragic passing of Dale Mooney, a lifelong Patriots fans and 30-year season ticket member, who died while attending last Sunday night’s Patriots game,” Gillette Stadium officials said in a statement. https://t.co/jaMt0VKxxO
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) September 19, 2023
A preliminary autopsy was then performed and suggested that Mooney’s death was not because of a traumatic injury, per CBS News. It does, however, identify a medical issue.
An investigation into the fight is still ongoing.
Mooney was a father of two kids and had a wife named Lisa. He had been a season ticket holder for 30 years.
Our thoughts are with them and the rest of the Mooney family.