Authorities have identified the shooter responsible for the tragic incident at a Rhode Island high school hockey game on Monday. The suspect, Robert Dorgan, 56, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, fatally shot two individuals and left three others critically injured before taking his own life.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves disclosed during a press conference that Dorgan, a father, targeted family members and a family friend during the attack at the Pawtucket ice rink. The police chief confirmed, “We have identified the suspect by the birth name Robert Dorgan and have also discovered that he used the name Roberta Esposito.”
The shooter was the father of a North Providence High School senior who was participating in the hockey tournament at the time, according to reports from local station WPRI.
Witnesses recounted that Dorgan initially positioned himself at the back of the stands on the home team’s side. He then moved to the front, where he opened fire on four family members and a family friend, creating chaos and fear at the event.
Dorgan is the father of a North Providence High School senior who was competing in the hockey tournament, local station WPRI reported.
The suspected shooter sat near the back of the stands on the home team’s side during the game before he moved to the front and opened fire at four family members and one family friend, the outlet reported.
The student’s mother and sibling were among the dead, multiple sources told the outlet. The mother of Dorgan’s child died inside Lynch Arena, while the sibling died at the hospital, according to the sources.
Three victims are still in critical condition as of Monday night.
Dorgan took his own life at the scene, police said.
A woman who was seen leaving the Pawtucket police station earlier in the day said the gunman was her father, who “has mental health issues” and was “very sick.”
“He shot my family, and he’s dead now,” she said.
Goncalves praised a “Good Samaritan” who she said stepped in and “attempted to subdue” Dorgan. Witnesses said the man — the father of another hockey player — disarmed Dorgan, but he had a backup firearm, both of which police retrieved at the scene.
Harrowing livestream footage that captured the unfolding chaos showed clumps of spectators scrambling to the exit while others rushed to aid the victims. One witness told CBS News that she saw someone attempting CPR on the victims.
Others sprinted to a nearby Walgreens, where staff locked down the building and called authorities.
Goncalves said police responded to the scene around 2:30 p.m. — just two minutes after receiving the first call.
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said law enforcement is working in tandem with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office “to ensure the facts are fully established” before making any other announcements.
“Pawtucket is a strong and resilient community, but tonight we are a city in mourning. We will stand together to support all those affected in the difficult days ahead, and we will keep the public updated as confirmed facts become available,” Grebien said.
