A 56-year-old man opened fire during a high school hockey tournament Monday afternoon, killing two people and critically injuring three others before taking his own life, Rhode Island authorities said.
The suspect was identified as Robert Dorgan, who also used the name Roberta Esposito, as reported by the New York Post. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said investigators confirmed his birth name as Robert Dorgan and noted that he also went by Roberta and used the surname Esposito.
The shooting occurred at an ice rink in Pawtucket during a tournament involving North Providence High School. Police said officers responded within two minutes of the first emergency call. Witnesses described spectators scrambling toward exits while others attempted CPR on victims inside the arena.
Investigators said the attack stemmed from a domestic dispute. Multiple reports indicated that the victims included relatives connected to Dorgan’s son, who was competing in the tournament. Authorities have not publicly clarified the exact relationships of all victims as the investigation continues.
In the hours before the shooting, Dorgan posted a message on X that read, “keep bashing us. but do not wonder why we Go BERSERK,” in response to criticism of transgender individuals. Authorities said an account believed to belong to him contained numerous inflammatory posts, including antisemitic and extremist rhetoric.
Court filings cited by local media show Dorgan underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2020. Divorce documents from that year initially referenced issues tied to the surgery before being amended to cite irreconcilable differences. Additional filings detailed prior disputes involving extended family members.
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Witnesses said a bystander intervened and disarmed Dorgan, but police reported he had a second firearm. Authorities recovered multiple weapons at the scene. Dorgan died by suicide shortly afterward.
Outside the Pawtucket police station, a woman identifying herself as Dorgan’s daughter told reporters, “He shot my family, and he’s dead now.” She said her father “has mental health issues” and was “very sick.”
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien described the city as grieving and pledged a full investigation in coordination with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. “Pawtucket is a strong and resilient community, but tonight we are a city in mourning,” Grebien said.
The Rhode Island shooting follows other high-profile attacks involving suspects who identified as transgender, including the 2023 shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville that left six people dead, and the 2025 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where children were killed during a church-school gathering. Those incidents have intensified national debate surrounding warning signs, online rhetoric and the roots of such violence.
America’s crisis is not merely political or psychological but spiritual. Scripture teaches that God created humanity intentionally and with purpose. He is not the author of confusion. Human beings are made in His image, and His design is not accidental or mistaken.
When a culture redefines identity apart from biblical truth, disorder follows. Confusion about who we are inevitably leads to deeper instability in families, communities and institutions. Violence does not erupt in a vacuum. It grows in soil where truth has been uprooted.
Lasting healing will not come through ideology, legislation or social movements. It will come through repentance and a return to God’s design. God does not make mistakes, and peace cannot be found by rejecting the way He created us.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
