Shooter killed ex-wife and a son in Rhode Island ice rink attack, police say

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) — The idiosyncratic who opened occurrence Monday during a younker hockey crippled astatine a Rhode Island crystal rink was specifically targeting household members, sidesplitting an ex-wife and lad arsenic galore fans dived for screen portion a fistful rushed the shooter to halt the attack, authorities said.

Pawtucket Chief of Police Tina Goncalves said the shooter's ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and big lad Aidan Dorgan were killed and 3 others were injured: Rhonda Dorgan's parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and a household person Thomas Geruso, Goncalves said.

Police identified the shooter arsenic 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who died from an evident self-inflicted gunshot wound. Dorgan besides went by the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano, authorities said.

Goncalves said determination was “no indication” determination would beryllium unit astatine the crystal rink successful Pawtucket connected Monday afternoon, adding that Dorgan had been to galore hockey games to ticker household members play earlier without incident.

Gender individuality seemingly was a contributing origin to Dorgan’s woman filing for divorcement successful 2020 aft astir 30 years of marriage.

Court filings amusement Rhonda Dorgan initially wrote “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + property upset traits” arsenic reasons for filing but crossed that retired and wrote “irreconcilable differences which person caused the irremediable breakdown of the marriage.”

Court documents amusement that 2 shared the aforesaid past sanction adjacent anterior to getting married. Authorities person not provided further details astir the aforesaid name.

Under the sanction Roberta Dorgano, Dorgan posted connected X that Rhonda Dorgan “hates the idiosyncratic who stole her husband” portion posting astir the couple’s marital troubles successful 2018. A twelvemonth aboriginal Dorgan wrote connected societal media: “Transwoman, 6 kids : woman – not thrilled,” and encouraged radical to not fto being transgender halt them from creating a family.

A time earlier the shooting, Dorgan responded connected X to anti-transgender posts by histrion Kevin Sorbo and Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones by saying that changeless disapproval of transgender radical is “why we Go BERSERK.”

Brutal onslaught ended erstwhile fans rushed to halt shooter

Goncalves connected Tuesday credited respective “good Samaritans” who intervened and rapidly stopped the attack

At slightest 3 bystanders were capable to incorporate Dorgan successful the mediate of the stands arsenic the assemblage fled and ran astir them, but said Dorgan was inactive capable to scope for a 2nd firearm and died of a self-inflicted gunshot, Goncalves said.

The hockey crippled was livestreamed by LiveBarn, a streaming level for younker sporting events, whose videos person been shared connected societal media showing players connected the crystal arsenic popping sounds are heard. Chaos rapidly unfolds arsenic players connected benches dive for cover, those connected the crystal frantically skate toward exits and fans fly their seats.

LiveBarn’s societal media relationship has been issuing warnings to those who shared the video that they bash not person support to bash so.

Michael Steven, who recorded video aft the shooting, recalled crying parents trying to find their children extracurricular the arena and young radical being taken retired connected stretchers.

“It happens acold excessively often successful our nation,” Steven told reporters.

Shooter known for atrocious temper, household disputes

Dorgan was an worker of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a vessel gathering installation successful Bath, Maine, that contracts with the U.S. Navy, David Hench, a spokesperson for the shipyard, said Tuesday. Coworkers said Dorgan often utilized the archetypal sanction Roberta astatine work.

A colleague, Destiny Mackenzie, recalled that Dorgan utilized the women’s bath and said the 2 of them would often speech astir family. Mackenzie said Dorgan's ex-wife ne'er came up successful speech but a hockey-playing lad was a predominant topic.

“What was expected to beryllium immoderate seniors' lone accidental astatine playoff games is present ruined,” she wrote successful a connection to The Associated Press. “Images that these kids and family’s present person to unrecorded with. That’s who I nonstop my condolences to is those families."

Mackenzie said Dorgan had a atrocious temper that sometimes led to screaming matches with colleagues.

Another coworker said Dorgan appeared to beryllium divided connected the contented of transgender acceptance, 1 2nd being arrogant of transitioning and the next, embarrassed. That coworker, who spoke connected information of anonymity for fearfulness of workplace reprisals, said they knew Dorgan owned guns but was unsure however many.

Dorgan concisely served successful the Marine Corps, enlisting connected April 26, 1988, according to subject records provided by the service. Less than 3 months later, connected July 13, Dorgan was separated from the work with the lowest subject rank.

Maj. Jacoby Getty, a Marine Corps spokesman, told The Associated Press that the accelerated discharge indicated Dorgan's quality "was incongruent with Marine Corps’ expectations and standards.”

Getty declined to supply much detail.

Monday’s shooting came astir 2 months aft the authorities was rocked by a shooting astatine Brown University that killed 2 students and wounded 9 others, arsenic good arsenic near a Massachusetts Institute of Technology prof dead. Authorities aboriginal recovered Claudio Neves Valente, 48, dormant from a self-inflicted gunshot coiled astatine a New Hampshire retention facility.

___

Casey contributed from Boston and Whittle contributed from Portland, Maine. Associated Press newsman Konstantin Toropin successful Washington contributed.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.