Investigators say the gunman targeted family members at a high school hockey game.
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Police say a 56-year-old gunman opened fire during a high school hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena on Mon., Feb. 16, killing his ex-wife and adult son, wounding three others and then dying from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The shooting shocked a close-knit sports community and sparked a multistate investigation that quickly moved beyond Rhode Island. Authorities say the suspect, identified by police as Robert K. Dorgan, had ties to Maine and Florida, and investigators later seized weapons and ammunition from a Maine storage unit. Police have described the attack as targeted, not random, and they say the motive remains under investigation as three victims continue to fight for their lives.
Police Chief Tina Goncalves said officers responded to reports of gunfire inside the arena during a youth hockey game that drew families, students and fans. The gunman, police said, focused on relatives in the stands as spectators scrambled for cover and several people rushed toward the shooter to stop the attack. “From the video, it doesn’t appear that there was any conversation or confrontation between the family before the incident happened,” Goncalves said at a briefing as investigators began collecting surveillance footage and witness statements.
Police identified the two people who died as Rhonda L. Dorgan, the suspect’s ex-wife, and Aidan Dorgan, their 23-year-old son. Three others were shot and remained hospitalized in critical condition in the days after the attack: Rhonda Dorgan’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and a family friend, Thomas Geruso, according to police. Authorities have not publicly detailed the gunshot injuries or released a full accounting of where each victim was positioned in the arena at the time of the shooting, and they have said they are still working to interview the surviving victims because their health is unstable.
Investigators also worked to track the suspect’s movements and access to weapons. Police said they identified a white van with Maine license plates connected to the suspect, which led them to locations in Maine where he lived and stored property. The FBI and Maine State Police executed search warrants at an apartment and a storage unit, and they also checked a work locker in Bath, Maine, police said. In the Brunswick, Maine, storage unit, authorities said they found a sawed-off shotgun, an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun frame, firearm accessories and ammunition, along with mail addressed to Dorgan. In the apartment, police said they seized ammunition, firearm accessories, personal identification documents and an electronic device. Investigators said they did not take any items from the work locker.
Authorities also traced firearms from the shooting scene back to purchases in two states, according to police statements shared after the searches. Police said the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced two handguns found at the rink and determined the suspect bought a Glock 29 in 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida, and a Sig Sauer P226 in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Police said a Florida firearms carry permit was recovered from the suspect’s body, and authorities said they were not aware of any Rhode Island concealed-carry permit connected to him. Investigators have not said when the suspect traveled into Rhode Island for the hockey game or whether he stayed in the area beforehand.
Police have also described a complicated background that includes multiple names and years of disputes reflected in court records. Authorities said the suspect also went by the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano. Court and police records reviewed by local outlets show the suspect’s life included financial troubles, domestic disputes and allegations that family conflict intensified several years ago. In one divorce filing from 2020, Rhonda Dorgan initially wrote that she sought a divorce because of gender reassignment surgery and what she described as narcissistic and personality disorder traits, before crossing out that wording and replacing it with “irreconcilable differences.” The divorce was finalized in 2021, records show.
Some records also describe past allegations of threats and confrontations involving extended family members. In statements included in those records, the suspect described fear for personal safety and wrote about being threatened with violence. Officials have not said whether any past disputes played a role in the shooting at the rink, and Goncalves said investigators were still trying to determine what set off the attack. “We’re not sure at this point what the trigger event was,” she said, adding that detectives were carrying out search warrants and looking for more information.
In Pawtucket, the days after the shooting brought vigils, grief and questions about how gunfire erupted in a place many families viewed as safe. Residents and members of the hockey community gathered to remember the dead and to support those who were wounded. People who were at the arena described a chaotic scene as shots rang out, with some spectators dropping behind the boards or seats and others helping children move away from the sound. Police have not released the names of bystanders who intervened, but officials have credited quick action by people in the rink for helping stop the attack.
The investigation now stretches across state lines and into the suspect’s digital and paper trail. Police said they seized an electronic device in Maine, and investigators have not said what it contains or whether it will help explain planning, intent or motive. Authorities also have not said whether the suspect was under any protective order at the time of the shooting or whether any prior criminal cases restricted access to guns. Those questions remain open as detectives work to build a full timeline of the suspect’s life in the years leading up to Feb. 16.
Police said the three wounded victims remained in critical condition as of the latest updates released in the days after the shooting, limiting what investigators can learn from first-hand interviews. Goncalves said detectives expect to conduct additional interviews and follow up on evidence recovered during the searches. The department has said it will release further information as it becomes available, including any confirmed motive, once investigators complete interviews and forensic work on firearms and recovered items.
Author note: Last updated February 20, 2026.