A high school senior night in Rhode Island turned into chaos Monday when a gunman opened fire inside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, killing two people and critically wounding three others before fatally shooting himself.
According to on-scene coverage from WCVB, police say the suspect shot five people inside the rink. Two victims died, and three remain in critical condition.
Players and families were bused to the Pawtucket Police Department for interviews as detectives began piecing together what happened.
One woman leaving the police station identified the gunman as her father.
“My father was a shooter… He shot my family. And he’s dead now,” she told reporters, adding that he “has mental health issues” and was “very sick,” according to WCVB.
Witnesses described panic erupting in the stands.
Experimenting with hormones that have direct effects on the brain https://t.co/kSXupoglgq
— Dr. Naomi Wolf. 8 NYT Bestsellers. DPhil, Poetry. (@naomirwolf) February 17, 2026
“Everybody started jumping over the bench,” one player said. “We heard the gunshots, but we didn’t know what the noise was at first.”
Another described barricading the locker room doors with their bodies as CPR was performed in the stands.
Suspect Identified, Social Media Posts Surface
The New York Post identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, 56, who also identified as Roberta Esposito. The outlet reported Dorgan underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2020 and had been involved in contentious court disputes tied to his identity.
The Post reported that the night before the shooting, Dorgan posted on X in response to criticism of transgender Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride:
BREAKING: The Rhode Island trans shooter tweeted YESTERDAY warning that you shouldn’t point out that “trans women” are really men or they will go “berserk.”
Transgender people are violent and a danger to society. pic.twitter.com/ZAhZQQd7na
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 17, 2026
“Keep bashing us. But do not wonder why we Go BERSERK.”
Authorities have not officially confirmed a motive. However, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said it appears to have been a targeted incident and “may be a family dispute.”
Multiple outlets reported the two people killed were the mother of Dorgan’s hockey-playing son and the student’s sibling. Three others — including two relatives and a family friend — were critically injured.
Good Samaritan Help Stop the Shooter
Surveillance footage from inside the arena reportedly shows players diving for cover and spectators scrambling as gunfire erupted. The New York Post reported that a bystander — the father of another hockey player — attempted to disarm Dorgan.
Slow motion video shows the moment Trans shooter shot his family dead at a hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) February 17, 2026
“A good Samaritan stepped in and interjected in the scene, and that’s probably what led to a swift end of this tragic event,” said Chief Goncalves.
The attack unfolded less than a week after a separate mass shooting in Canada involving a transgender suspect.
Mental Health Front and Center
In the immediate aftermath, family members publicly pointed to severe mental health struggles.
Normally, a white male committing a mass public shooting at a hockey game in a working class town would be catnip to our media. They are strangely silent on this one. https://t.co/NusX5ncn3E
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) February 17, 2026
“He’s sick. He’s very sick,” the shooter’s daughter said outside the police station, according to WCVB.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and continuing interviews. The three surviving victims had not yet been interviewed as of the initial press conference due to the severity of their injuries.
WCVB also reminded viewers of the 988 crisis hotline for anyone experiencing mental health distress.
A Senior Night Shattered
What was supposed to be a celebration for Blackstone Valley seniors instead ended with families embracing outside a police station, flowers in hand, and questions with no easy answers.
Robert Dorgan belonged in an asylum
But because it is “offensive” to do that, he was able to go out and kiII his own family during a school hockey game today pic.twitter.com/FBsCOUxzEP
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 17, 2026
As of now, law enforcement has characterized the shooting as targeted and likely tied to a family dispute. The exact sequence of events, and whether warning signs were missed, remains under investigation.
This is a developing story.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
Read the full article here
