Authorities confirm a 56-year-old suspect targeted his ex-wife and son during a youth sporting event in Pawtucket before taking his own life.
Law enforcement officials in Rhode Island have identified the two victims killed during a targeted shooting at a high school ice hockey game on Monday. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves announced that Rhonda Dorgan and her adult son, Aidan Dorgan, were fatally shot inside the Dennis M Lynch Arena by the suspect, 56-year-old Robert Dorgan.
The shooter, who police noted also used the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgan, was found dead at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The attack also left three others—Rhonda’s parents and a family friend—hospitalized in critical condition.
A Targeted Family Dispute
Investigators believe the violence stemmed from a domestic dispute rather than a random act of violence. Court records indicate a tumultuous family history. Rhonda Dorgan initiated divorce proceedings in February 2020, initially citing the suspect’s “gender reassignment surgery” and “narcissistic + personality disorder traits” before amending the filing to “irreconcilable differences.”
Around the same time, Robert Dorgan filed a police report alleging his father-in-law used transphobic slurs and made death threats against him. A subsequent criminal charge against the father-in-law was ultimately dismissed. Despite the suspect’s history and online presence under a female identity, Chief Goncalves stressed that the shooter’s gender identity remains “irrelevant to the investigation at this point.”
Chaos on the Ice
The gunfire erupted while players were actively competing on the rink, located just outside the state capital of Providence. Video footage captured the immediate panic as athletes and spectators scrambled for safety. According to police, the suspect used two legally purchased handguns during the assault: a Glock 10mm and a SIG Sauer P226.
The tragedy was halted when a spectator engaged the shooter. Chief Goncalves credited the unnamed bystander for stepping in to disarm the attacker.
[A bystander] stepped in and interjected… that’s probably what led to a swift end of this tragic event.
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a naval contracting firm based in Maine, confirmed the suspect was an active employee and released a statement extending their deepest sympathies to the impacted families.
SOURCES: Pawtucket Police Department, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Rhode Island Court Records.
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