Robert Dorgan, 56, who used the name Roberta Esposito, opened fire at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, during a high school boys’ ice hockey game Monday, killing his ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and their son Aidan Dorgan, who was a senior at North Providence High School and playing in the game.
Three others, including a family friend, were critically injured before Dorgan died by suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves confirmed the incident was a targeted family dispute. An adult daughter of Dorgan later told reporters, “He shot my family, and he’s dead now,” describing her father as “very sick” and “mentally ill.”
Witnesses described confusion at first, mistaking gunshots for crowd noise. A parent attempted to intervene but was overpowered. Dorgan was armed with two guns, both recovered at the scene.
The shooting reportedly stemmed from a long history of family conflict, primarily tied to Dorgan’s gender transition. In 2020, Rhonda Dorgan filed for divorce, initially citing gender reassignment surgery and narcissistic personality disorder traits as grounds—reasons later replaced with “irreconcilable differences.”
The divorce was finalized in June 2021. Dorgan, who had lived in Florida as a truck driver, reportedly faced threats from his father-in-law, who allegedly demanded he leave the family home after his transition and threatened him with violence, including being “murdered by an Asian street gang.”
Dorgan reportedly had a documented history of mental health struggles and family disputes. He accused his mother of assault in 2020, and court records show he reported threats from his father-in-law, though charges were later dismissed.
In the days before the shooting, Dorgan posted disturbing messages online under the name Roberta Dorgano, including a warning: “Keep bashing us. But do not wonder why we Go BESERK,” in response to anti-trans rhetoric. He also shared a video of a woman loading ammunition while running on a treadmill.
On the day of the shooting, Dorgan posted on social media: “I have a beloved RHONDA too, my friend,” referencing a post by Rep. Thomas Massie about his late wife. The attack unfolded around 2:30 PM during the game.
The shooter's daughter Ava Dorgan (20), who was not at the game, reportedly confirmed the next day that her mother Rhonda and brother Aidan were killed, while her maternal grandparents and her mother's friend were critically injured.
Ava described her father as having mental health issues for years, said the family had not been close to him recently, and noted he had no known prior violence or gun ownership that she was aware of. (Some reports paraphrase her linking his issues to deeper problems beyond gender identity.)
