Gunfire erupted during a high school hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Monday afternoon, leaving two people dead, three others critically wounded, and the suspected shooter also dead, according to police.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said the shooting was reported shortly before 2:30 p.m. while families and students were gathered at the rink for a game that brought multiple school communities together. Officials said three victims were taken to Rhode Island Hospital and were in critical condition on Monday night. Mayor Donald Grebien said the injured were “fighting for their lives,” as the city tried to process what he described as a sudden tragedy unfolding in a setting meant for a school sports event.
Investigators identified the suspect as Robert Dorgan. Goncalves said at a news conference that police had learned the person “does go by the name of Roberta” and “also uses a last of Esposito.” She described the suspect’s name as a “birth name,” and said the investigation was continuing into the circumstances and motive.
Goncalves told reporters it appeared the suspect had come to the arena to watch a family member’s hockey game. “It appears that a lone individual, the suspect, entered the arena to watch the hockey game of a family member, and unfortunately, during that time, a shooting occurred,” she said. Police also said the incident was believed to be targeted and may have involved a family dispute. “It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” Goncalves said.
Officials have not publicly identified the victims. Goncalves said the two people who died appeared to be adults, while noting that early information can change as investigators confirm details. NBC Connecticut reported that Grebien’s office had initially told an affiliate that one of the dead was a girl, but the police chief later said she did not believe anyone was underage, adding that the inquiry remained ongoing.
The attack prompted a large emergency response and scenes of panic inside and outside the arena. Authorities said they were reviewing video and interviewing witnesses in an effort to reconstruct what happened. Grebien and Goncalves said more than 100 witnesses had been interviewed by Monday night, and police appealed for anyone with footage from the game to come forward.
The Associated Press described families outside the arena in the aftermath, with tearful relatives and high school hockey players still in uniform hugging before boarding a bus to leave the area. The report said investigators were examining video recorded at the game and working through accounts from the crowd.
Police credited a bystander for intervening during the chaos. Goncalves said “a good Samaritan stepped in and interjected in this scene,” adding that the intervention “probably” helped bring a swift end to the violence. Authorities said the suspect died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, though officials stressed that the circumstances of the suspect’s death were part of the continuing investigation.
The New York Post reported that Dorgan was the parent of a North Providence High School senior participating in the hockey tournament, and that police believed the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute involving family members and a family friend. The paper said Dorgan used the name Roberta Esposito and described a history of family legal conflict linked to gender transition, citing court filings and local reporting. It also reported that an account appearing to belong to Dorgan contained inflammatory posts, including a reply on X that read: “keep bashing us. but do not wonder why we Go BERSERK.” The Post said the remark was posted the night before the shooting, and framed it as part of a wider pattern of online rants.
Authorities have not released a detailed account of the suspect’s background or confirmed the authenticity of any social media accounts beyond what was said publicly at the press conference. Police have also not announced a definitive motive, beyond describing the shooting as targeted and likely connected to a family dispute.
State and federal officials said resources were being deployed to assist the investigation and support the community. NBC Connecticut reported that the FBI Boston Division was investigating alongside state and local law enforcement, and that FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the bureau was responding. The same report said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also urged the public to avoid the area while agents assisted local police.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said the state was “grieving again,” and issued a statement describing his heartbreak “as Governor, a parent, and a former coach” for the victims and those impacted by the shooting. He said he was grateful to first responders and those providing mental health support, and urged anyone needing help to call 988, the national crisis line. Grebien also announced that the Blackstone Valley Visitor’s Center would open for grief counselling on Tuesday, as residents and students sought support in the wake of the violence.
The shooting revived wider concerns about gun violence at public gatherings, particularly those involving schools and children. Grebien described the scene at the arena as one that should have been ordinary. “Family and friends were gathered today at a hockey game at Lynch Arena to celebrate the senior night, bringing together communities from across the state,” he said. “Instead, an act of senseless violence has taken the lives of two innocent victims, with the suspect taking his own life.”
In reporting on the Pawtucket attack, the Associated Press noted it came not long after another high-profile gun violence case in the state, referencing a shooting at Brown University that authorities said had left two students dead and nine others wounded. The AP report said that shooter later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, and that officials said the two incidents were not related. Grebien was quoted describing the reality of violence reaching spaces where teenagers and families had gathered for sport. “These are high school kids. They were doing an event, they were playing with their families watching, a fun time, and it turned into this,” he said.
As investigators continued to work through witness statements and video evidence, officials stressed that key facts, including the full sequence of events and the identities of those killed and wounded, remained subject to confirmation. Police said their focus was on establishing what happened inside the arena and providing support to those affected, while urging members of the public who were present to share recordings that could aid the inquiry.
