A terrorist killed two family members and critically wounded three others during a high school hockey match in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, US on Monday before he took his own life.
The attack unfolded around 2:30 p.m. at Dennis M. Lynch Arena as the Coventry-Johnston co-op team faced the Blackstone Valley Schools co-op squad on Senior Night.
Robert Dorgan, also known as Roberta Esposito and the father of a North Providence High School senior playing in the game, opened fire on his own relatives in the stands.
He first struck five family members in rapid succession, then turned the weapon on himself.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves confirmed the targeted nature of the assault.
“It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” she told reporters at a Monday evening press conference.
Officers arrived within two minutes, and a quick-thinking spectator intervened to help subdue the terrorist, bringing the chaos to a swift close.
No players suffered injuries, and authorities quickly accounted for all students.
Furthermore, the terrorist’s rampage left one victim—a girl—dead at the scene and another family member dead after transport to Rhode Island Hospital.
Three additional relatives remain hospitalized in critical condition.
Police recovered firearms at the arena and interviewed more than 100 witnesses as they pieced together the sequence captured on the game’s live stream: a burst of roughly 13 shots in six seconds, followed by one more report 11 seconds later.
Meanwhile, panic swept the rink. Players in full gear scrambled off the ice and bolted through exits while spectators ducked for cover or fled into nearby stores.
Coventry player Olin Lawrence recalled mistaking the gunfire for popping balloons before he and his teammates barricaded themselves in the locker room.
Nearby Walgreens employees locked their doors after terrified attendees rushed inside.Subsequently, state and local leaders expressed shock and solidarity.
Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien declared the city in mourning, noting that “what should have been a joyful occasion was instead marked by violence and fear.”
Governor Dan McKee added, “As governor, a parent and a former coach, my heart breaks for the victims, families, students and everyone impacted.”
The Rhode Island Interscholastic League suspended all remaining games out of respect, and the hockey community rallied with the #sticksoutforRI gesture.
Additionally, officials stressed there is no ongoing threat to public safety. The FBI offered full resources to local investigators but confirmed no broader danger.
Mental health support lines, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, opened immediately for affected families and first responders.
In the end, the terrorist’s domestic assault shattered a routine afternoon of high school sports and left an entire state grieving.
As investigators continue to examine the gunman’s background and any prior warnings, Pawtucket residents and the wider Rhode Island hockey family begin the painful process of healing from yet another preventable tragedy on American soil.
