Transgender Shooter Opens Fire at High School Hockey Game in Rhode Island
Horrifying footage has emerged capturing the moment a transgender shooter opened fire on his family during a high school ice hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Witnesses scrambled for their lives in the stands as the gunman unleashed a barrage of approximately a dozen shots at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena on Monday afternoon.
Gunman Identified as Robert Dorgan
Authorities have identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito. The gunman killed two people and injured three others before turning the weapon on himself. Police confirmed that one of the deceased victims was a child, and the shooting stemmed from what they described as a "family dispute."
Video from inside the arena shows Dorgan walking slowly through the stands before raising his arm and firing multiple shots into one victim's back. A brave bystander then grabbed the gunman from behind, struggling with him as others fled the chaotic scene.
Daughter Speaks Out About Mental Health Issues
Shortly after the shooting, Dorgan's daughter broke down in tears as she left a police station, telling reporters her father was "very sick" and had mental health issues. "He shot my family," she said outside the station. "And he's dead now."
The emotional daughter added: "If you have a loved one who you think is sick, trust your gut." Her identity has not been officially confirmed by authorities.
Chaotic Scenes at the Hockey Rink
The shooting sparked mayhem at the rink during what was supposed to be a "Senior Night" hockey game between co-op teams from Coventry and Johnston schools playing against another co-op team from St. Raphael, PCD, North Providence, and North Smithfield schools.
Additional footage shows high school hockey players scrambling from the rink, with some ducking down and sprinting for safety while those on the bench leapt over the side and raced to locker rooms. Spectators could be heard screaming and crying after the shots rang out.
"I was on the ice and I thought it was balloons at first," recounted hockey player Olin Lawrence. "It was like 'bop, bop,' and I thought it was balloons, but this kept going - and it was actually gunshots. Me and my teammates ran right to the locker room and we just bunkered up and we pressed against the door and we tried to stay safe down there. It was very scary, we were very nervous."
History of Gender Identity Conflicts
Court documents obtained by WPRI reveal Dorgan had sparred with family members over gender identity issues for years. In early 2020, he told police he had recently undergone gender reassignment surgery and claimed his father-in-law wanted him kicked out of their home because of it.
According to court documents, Dorgan claimed his father-in-law threatened to "have him murdered by an Asian street gang if he did not move out of the residence" and told him, "There's no goddam way a tranny is going to stay in my house." The father-in-law was charged with intimidation of witnesses and obstruction of the judicial system, though prosecutors later dismissed the charges.
Other court records show Dorgan had accused his mother of assaulting him and acting in a "violent, threatening or tumultuous manner," leading to charges of simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct against her. That case was also eventually dismissed.
Divorce Documents Reveal Troubled History
Dorgan's gender identity was cited in his ex-wife Rhonda's initial petition for divorce in 2020. Under the section for "grounds for divorce," Rhonda initially wrote "gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits," though these reasons were later crossed out and replaced with "irreconcilable differences, which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage."
Their divorce was finalized in June 2021, and Rhonda is now believed to be one of the victims of Monday's shooting. A source with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives explained to Fox News that the gunman shot and killed his wife and opened fire on his children before turning the gun on himself.
Ominous Social Media Warnings
After Dorgan was identified as the gunman, social media accounts linked to the transgender shooter showed he shared ominous warnings in the days before the deadly incident. An online profile that appears to belong to Dorgan shared an eerie video of a woman running on a treadmill while loading ammunition magazines into a handgun and aiming.
In another post on X, a profile for "Roberta Dorgano" threatened to go "BERSERK" while defending transgender Congresswoman Sarah McBride. "Keep bashing us," he wrote on Sunday, just one day before the shooting. "But do not wonder why we Go BESERK."
The tournament had started at 2 p.m., and shots were fired just about half an hour later, turning what should have been a celebratory high school sports event into a scene of tragedy and violence that has left a community in shock.
