Pawtucket, R.I. – A shooting at a high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, left two people dead and three others critically injured on Monday afternoon, authorities said. The suspect, identified as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.
The incident unfolded just before 2:30 p.m. (Feb. 17, 2026) at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena during a boys’ high school hockey game between co-op teams from Coventry-Johnston and another local program. Dorgan, the father of a North Providence High School senior who was playing in the game, entered the stands to watch a family member’s match and opened fire, targeting four family members and one family friend, according to police.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves described the event as a “targeted” family dispute during a late-night news conference. A good Samaritan intervened, attempting to subdue Dorgan and disarming him of one weapon, though he produced a second firearm. Officers arrived to find Dorgan deceased from the self-inflicted wound. Two victims died at the scene, including the mother of Dorgan’s child, while a third succumbed at the hospital. The three injured remain in critical condition.
Dorgan, a biological male, had publicly identified as a woman and used the name Roberta Esposito. Court records from 2020 detail family conflicts tied to his gender identity, including a report he filed with North Providence police after undergoing gender-reassignment surgery. His then-father-in-law reportedly demanded he leave their shared home, using derogatory language about his transition. Dorgan’s divorce from his wife was finalized in 2021, with initial filings citing the surgery as grounds before being amended to irreconcilable differences.
A woman identifying herself as Dorgan’s daughter spoke to reporters outside the Pawtucket Police Department, stating, “My father was the shooter” and describing him as “very sick” with long-standing mental health issues. She was en route to the hospital to check on family members.
No further threat to the public was reported, and the FBI confirmed the investigation is ongoing as a targeted incident. Hockey players, some still in uniforms and skates, were evacuated and later transported by bus to the police station for safety.
This marks the latest in a series of high-profile shootings, though authorities have emphasized the domestic nature of the dispute. As details emerge, the community grapples with the loss amid what was intended as a celebratory senior night event.
