# 2026 Pawtucket shooting
The 2026 Pawtucket shooting was a targeted attack on February 16, 2026, in which 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who also used the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano, shot and killed family members in the stands during a high school hockey game at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in [Pawtucket, Rhode Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/pawtucket-rhode-island), and then died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.[1](https://apnews.com/article/4e9c9df9c3a2b0a524f0e9bdd0908d45) Two people died at the scene or of initial wounds, and a third wounded victim died nine days later; three others were critically injured.[1](https://apnews.com/article/4e9c9df9c3a2b0a524f0e9bdd0908d45) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/b7cbe46eb3e0f9a221623ac4002b7cd0) Police described the attack as a "very targeted" family dispute.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and place | Monday, February 16, 2026, during the first period of a game that began around 2 p.m. at Dennis M. Lynch Arena, Pawtucket, Rhode Island[4](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/17/metro/pawtucket-hockey-shooting-case/) |
| Dead | Ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and adult son Aidan Dorgan, 23; grandfather Gerald Dorgan, 75, died of his wounds on February 25[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/b7cbe46eb3e0f9a221623ac4002b7cd0) |
| Wounded | Linda Dorgan, 75, and family friend Thomas Geruso, 54, an assistant principal at a Pawtucket high school, both critically injured[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) |
| Shooter | Robert Dorgan, 56, born 1969, also known as Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano; died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound[1](https://apnews.com/article/4e9c9df9c3a2b0a524f0e9bdd0908d45) |
| Weapons | A Glock 10 millimeter and a SIG Sauer P226 pistol recovered at the scene; searches later seized an AR-15 style rifle, a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, and accessories[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) • [5](https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2026/02/18/pawtucket-police-find-firearms-in-ice-rink-shooters-storage-locker-identify-courageous-citizens-who-intervened/) |
| Intervention | Bystanders rushed the shooter and wrestled a gun away; police said they "undoubtedly prevented further injury"[6](https://apnews.com/article/fcf58def325c4c6698775e5d46e260fc) |
| Players | None of the players from either team were among the injured[4](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/17/metro/pawtucket-hockey-shooting-case/) |
## The shooting
The game matched the Coventry/Johnston co-op team against a Blackstone Valley schools co-op program drawing players from St. Raphael Academy, Providence Country Day, and the North Providence and North Smithfield public schools, and it was Senior Night for the Blackstone Valley team.[4](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/17/metro/pawtucket-hockey-shooting-case/) • [7](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/shooting-pawtucket-rhode-island-hockey-rink/) Gunfire erupted during the first period, sending spectators and players screaming for the exits.[4](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/17/metro/pawtucket-hockey-shooting-case/) Video posted on social media captured a volley of shots, an 11-second gap, and a final shot; another video shows the shooter in the stands wearing a white winter hat and tan coat firing a handgun, then a man in a black jacket rushing him from behind and wrestling him to the ground.[4](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/17/metro/pawtucket-hockey-shooting-case/)
**Bystander intervention.** Police Chief Tina Goncalves credited a good Samaritan with bringing a swift end to the attack.[1](https://apnews.com/article/4e9c9df9c3a2b0a524f0e9bdd0908d45) At least three bystanders contained the shooter in the middle of the stands as the crowd fled.[2](https://apnews.com/article/b7cbe46eb3e0f9a221623ac4002b7cd0) Dorgan was subdued, then drew a second weapon and took his own life.[8](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/pawtucket-rhode-island-shooting-latest-robert-dorgan/) Police identified the interveners as Stephen Black, Robert Rattenni, and Ryan Cordeiro, and separately credited retired [Rhode Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/rhode-island) firefighters and EMTs Chris Librizzi and Glenn Narodowy and nurse Maryann Rattenni with giving first aid; the department said the group "undoubtedly prevented further injury and increased the chances of survival for the injured."[6](https://apnews.com/article/fcf58def325c4c6698775e5d46e260fc) Black, a retired printing-company owner with no emergency-response training, said his focus was to "get the gun and then subdue the shooter."[6](https://apnews.com/article/fcf58def325c4c6698775e5d46e260fc)
## Victims
The dead were Dorgan's ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan, who succumbed at the arena, and adult son Aidan Dorgan, 23, who died at the hospital.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) Wounded were Rhonda Dorgan's parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, both 75, and her friend Thomas Geruso, 54, an assistant principal of a Pawtucket high school, all initially in critical condition.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) On February 25, police announced that Gerald Dorgan, the grandfather of victim Aidan Dorgan, had died of his injuries, raising the death toll to three victims plus the shooter.[2](https://apnews.com/article/b7cbe46eb3e0f9a221623ac4002b7cd0) The family had come to watch Aidan's younger brother play for the Blackstone Valley co-op; the younger brother was not injured.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/)
## The shooter
Robert Dorgan, born in 1969, was a transgender woman who also used the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano.[1](https://apnews.com/article/4e9c9df9c3a2b0a524f0e9bdd0908d45) • [3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) Court records and interviews describe a life marked by legal disputes and family conflict. After 28 years of marriage, Rhonda Dorgan filed for divorce in February 2020, initially citing "gender reassignment surgery, Narcissistic + personality traits" before crossing that out and amending the grounds to "irremediable breakdown of the marriage"; the divorce was finalized in June 2021.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) Also in February 2020, Dorgan filed a complaint with North Providence police alleging his father-in-law threatened him with bodily harm and ordered him out of the family home; the father-in-law reportedly told him to move out because, according to the police report, "There is no way a tranny is going to stay in my house."[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) Dorgan had accused his mother of assault the same month, and those charges were later dropped.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/)
Dorgan joined the Marine Corps in April 1988 and was prematurely discharged that July, with a Marine Corps spokesman saying the discharge indicated service "incongruent with Marine Corps expectations and standards."[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) Earlier charges of simple assault and battery in Providence in 1989 and driving on a suspended license in 1994 were both dropped.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) During the divorce Dorgan lived in [Jacksonville, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacksonville-florida), and worked as a truck driver; by 2022 Dorgan was living in Maine and worked at [Bath Iron Works](https://www.edgepedia.org/bath-iron-works), the shipbuilder, which confirmed employment at the time of the shooting.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) Friends described a devoted parent who drove from Maine to Rhode Island for her children's games, but who said she was not fully accepted by her family and "had a lot of struggles mentally."[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/) Dorgan held a Florida license to carry firearms.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/)
Chief Goncalves said there was "no indication" that violence was coming: Dorgan had attended many family hockey games before without incident, and there appeared to have been no conversation or confrontation between the family before the shooting.[3](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/)
## Investigation
Police said they found various firearms, ammunition, and gun accessories in the storage locker, and investigators reported seizing an AR-15 style rifle and a sawed-off shotgun among the items.[5](https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2026/02/18/pawtucket-police-find-firearms-in-ice-rink-shooters-storage-locker-identify-courageous-citizens-who-intervened/) • [8](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/pawtucket-rhode-island-shooting-latest-robert-dorgan/) FBI and ATF agents assisted state and local law enforcement at the arena.[7](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/shooting-pawtucket-rhode-island-hockey-rink/) In late February the Pawtucket Police Department released more than 21 minutes of blurred body-camera video showing the chaotic aftermath, including a woman telling an officer outside the arena, "My dad shot my brother."[9](https://apnews.com/article/e18f6a3cba2c8314a63d6acb4808d7f1)
## Response
Governor [Dan McKee](https://www.edgepedia.org/dan-mckee) said Rhode Island "is grieving again," recalling the December 2025 shooting at [Brown University](https://www.edgepedia.org/brown-university) in which a gunman killed two students and wounded nine others, and announced a statewide virtual support hub for people affected by the Lynch Arena shooting.[4](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/17/metro/pawtucket-hockey-shooting-case/) • [10](https://governor.ri.gov/press-releases/governor-mckee-announces-statewide-virtual-support-hub-people-impacted-lynch-arena) Mayor Donald Grebien called Pawtucket "a city in mourning" and said a 211 hotline and grief counseling at the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center would serve those affected.[7](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/shooting-pawtucket-rhode-island-hockey-rink/) The Rhode Island Interscholastic League temporarily suspended all interscholastic games out of respect for the victims, with most high school sports about to enter the playoffs.[7](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/shooting-pawtucket-rhode-island-hockey-rink/) Boston's professional teams, including the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, and [New England Patriots](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-england-patriots), issued statements of sympathy.[7](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/shooting-pawtucket-rhode-island-hockey-rink/)
## References
1. [Shooter killed ex-wife and a son in Rhode Island ice rink attack, police say](https://apnews.com/article/4e9c9df9c3a2b0a524f0e9bdd0908d45)
2. [Third victim dies from wounds suffered in Rhode Island ice rink attack, police say, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/b7cbe46eb3e0f9a221623ac4002b7cd0)
3. [After Pawtucket shooting, records show suspect's life was marked by conflict, The Boston Globe](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/18/metro/pawtucket-rink-shooting-dorgan-aftermath/)
4. [Here's what we know about the mass shooting at a hockey game in Pawtucket, R.I., The Boston Globe](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/17/metro/pawtucket-hockey-shooting-case/)
5. [Police find firearms, ammo in Pawtucket shooter's storage locker, Boston.com](https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2026/02/18/pawtucket-police-find-firearms-in-ice-rink-shooters-storage-locker-identify-courageous-citizens-who-intervened/)
6. [When Rhode Island shooter started firing, bystanders jumped into action to end the carnage, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/fcf58def325c4c6698775e5d46e260fc)
7. [2 killed in shooting at high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island; suspect dead, police say, CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/shooting-pawtucket-rhode-island-hockey-rink/)
8. [Guns seized from Pawtucket, Rhode Island shooting suspect's apartment, storage unit, CBS Boston](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/pawtucket-rhode-island-shooting-latest-robert-dorgan/)
9. [Police video shows chaotic aftermath of Rhode Island ice rink shooting, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/e18f6a3cba2c8314a63d6acb4808d7f1)
10. [Governor McKee Announces Statewide Virtual Support Hub for People Impacted by the Lynch Arena Shooting, State of Rhode Island](https://governor.ri.gov/press-releases/governor-mckee-announces-statewide-virtual-support-hub-people-impacted-lynch-arena)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Conflict and security › Wars, campaigns, and incidents › Massacres, mass violence, and terrorist attacks › Terrorist attacks and mass-casualty incidents › Terrorist attacks and mass-casualty incidents in the Americas › Mass shootings and gun attacks*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license