A person suspected of fatally shooting two individuals at a Rhode Island ice rink on Monday, before taking their own life, has been identified as transgender, with a background of familial conflict related to their gender identity. This information was revealed by a local news outlet, referencing court records.
Documents from the court indicate that Robert Dorgan had been entangled in several family disputes over recent years, with tensions reportedly intensifying following his gender reassignment surgery, according to WPRI.
At age 56, Dorgan allegedly opened fire at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket amid a hockey game between Coventry and Blackstone Valley Schools. The shooting, described by Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves as a “family dispute,” resulted in tragic outcomes.
Officials confirmed that the incident left two people dead, while the suspect succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three additional individuals were injured and are currently hospitalized.
The suspect, accused of shooting two people at a Rhode Island ice rink before committing suicide, was involved in past family disputes related to gender identity, according to a local report citing legal documents. Law enforcement secured the scene outside Dennis M. Lynch Arena following the incident during a high school hockey match in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on February 16, 2026. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
A federal law enforcement source informed Fox News that the gunman allegedly killed his wife and shot three of his children before ending his own life, describing it as a case of domestic violence.
In 2020, Dorgan reported to North Providence police that he had undergone gender-reassignment surgery and said his father-in-law wanted him out of the family home because of it. Police identified the suspect by the birth name Robert Dorgan and said he also went by “Roberta.”
According to court documents cited by WPRI, Dorgan alleged his father-in-law used a derogatory term for transgender individuals and threatened retaliation if he did not move out. The father-in-law was charged at the time, though prosecutors later dismissed the case.
Police vehicles respond outside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena after a shooting during a high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Feb. 16, 2026. Authorities said two people were killed and three others were injured in what they described as a family dispute. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
Court filings also show Dorgan’s then-wife initially cited “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits” in divorce paperwork before the grounds were amended to “irreconcilable differences.” The divorce was finalized in 2021. Divorce records list Dorgan as living in Jacksonville, Florida, at the time and working as a truck driver.
Also in 2020, Dorgan accused his mother of assaulting him and acting in a “violent, threatening or tumultuous manner,” according to police records cited by WPRI. His mother was charged with simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct, though the case was later dismissed, court records show.
Heavy police presence was seen near an ICE arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island after an alleged shooting left multiple injured on Feb. 16, 2026. (WPRI)
The dispute was also referenced in Dorgan’s conflict with his father-in-law. According to court documents, Dorgan told police his father-in-law “told me that if I did not drop the assault charges against my mother that further retaliation could be expected and that was another reason to have me killed.
Police have not said whether those past disputes were connected to Monday’s violence, and investigators have not publicly identified a motive. Goncalves said the shooting “looked like it was a family dispute” and that detectives are still working to establish a timeline.
