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51m ago

Police Identify Ex-Wife and Son Among Dead in Pawtucket Rink Shooting

Police call it a targeted family attack, with investigators combing video and witness accounts for motive.

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Police stand outside the perimeter they created around the Dennis M. Lynch Arena where a shooting occurred earlier today in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on February 16, 2026. At least two people were killed and three wounded in a shooting at an ice rink in the northeastern US town of Pawtucket on Monday, authorities said, with social media footage showing frightened teenagers fleeing the sound of gunshots. “We have three deceased. The suspect, and then we have two victims, and then we have three at the hospital,” said Pawtucket police chief Tina Goncalves told reporters after the incident. She added that initial investigations suggested the shooting was targeted and “may be a family dispute.” (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images)
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A father hugs his son outside of the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.

Overview

  • Authorities named the suspect as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who also went by Roberta Esposito, and said the suspect died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
  • Police identified the deceased victims as Dorgan’s ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, and their adult son, Aidan, while three others — the ex-wife’s parents and a family friend — remain hospitalized in critical condition.
  • Officials credited multiple bystanders with stepping in to contain the attacker, which they said helped bring the shooting to a swift end even as the suspect reached for a second firearm.
  • Investigators are reviewing LiveBarn livestream footage and cellphone videos, have interviewed hundreds of witnesses, executed search warrants, and noted that FBI Boston responded and stands ready to assist.
  • Police said no athletes were hurt during the youth/high-school game; records show Dorgan worked at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and briefly served in the Marine Corps.