Particle.news
Download on the App Store
221 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Police Say Gunman Killed Ex-Wife and Son at Rhode Island Ice Rink During Youth Game

Authorities describe a targeted family attack and expand a multi-agency investigation after bystanders helped halt the gunfire.

Image
Image
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)
Image

Overview

  • Police identified the shooter as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, also known as Roberta Esposito, who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.
  • The deceased victims were Dorgan’s ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, and their adult son, Aidan; three others—the ex-wife’s parents and a family friend—remain in critical condition.
  • Officials said the shooting at Pawtucket’s Dennis M. Lynch Arena during a youth and high school hockey game was a targeted family dispute.
  • Bystanders intervened and helped stop the attack, and police said the shooter was restrained before reaching for a second firearm and fatally shooting himself.
  • Investigators are reviewing livestream and surveillance video, executing search warrants, and interviewing hundreds of witnesses with FBI and ATF support, and no additional suspects are being sought while all players at the game were accounted for.