- Robert Dorgan, the shooter
By SCM REPORTER,, 17 February 2026
A DISTRAUGHT father opened fire on his own family during a high school ice hockey match yesterday, killing his wife and two of his children in a horrific murder-suicide.
The bloodbath unfolded at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, as terrified spectators and teenage players fled for their lives.
The gunman, identified by police as Robert Dorgan, 56, reportedly unleashed a hail of “11 to 13 shots” into the stands where his family was sitting.
Dorgan’s wife and one daughter were killed in the attack.
A third child was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, fighting for life after being caught in the “targeted” family hit.
In a chilling statement following the tragedy, Dorgan’s surviving daughter confirmed the identity of the monster behind the trigger.
”My father was the shooter—he’s dead now,” she said. “He had been struggling with mental health for quite some time. He was very sick.”
The shooting broke out during a high-stakes game between local high school teams.
Witness accounts and livestream footage captured the moment a celebratory “Senior Night” turned into a scene of carnage.
Players as young as 15 were forced to barricade themselves in locker rooms, using their bodies to block the doors as the gunman stalked the arena.
Others were seen fleeing the building still in their skates, desperate to escape the “unmistakable” sound of rapid gunfire.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves confirmed the shooter died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
She credited a “Good Samaritan” who intervened during the shooting for preventing further loss of life.
This “familicide” has sent shockwaves through the smallest state in the U.S., which is already reeling from a separate mass shooting at Brown University just two months ago.
Investigators revealed that Dorgan, who also used the names Roberta Esposito, had a history of family-related legal disputes.
While police have labeled the motive as a “family dispute,” the shooter’s daughter’s testimony paints a grim picture of long-term mental health struggles that finally reached a breaking point.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said the state was “praying for Pawtucket,” while the local mayor described the city as being “in mourning” after the “terrible tragedy.”
