What To Know About The Trans Shooter Behind Mass Shooting At Youth Hockey Game
A tragic shooting at a Rhode Island ice rink has left a community reeling after two people were killed and three others injured in what authorities describe as a domestic dispute that unfolded in a public setting. The suspect, identified as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to law enforcement officials.
The incident occurred Monday inside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket during a hockey game between Coventry and Blackstone Valley Schools. What began as a routine school sporting event quickly turned chaotic when gunfire erupted inside the arena.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves stated during a press conference that the shooting appeared to stem from a “family dispute,” though investigators are still working to establish a full timeline and definitive motive.
A federal law enforcement source told Fox News that the violence was a domestic incident. According to that source, Dorgan allegedly shot and killed his wife and wounded three of his children before turning the weapon on himself. The three injured victims remain hospitalized.
As investigators piece together the circumstances surrounding the attack, court records cited by local outlet WPRI reveal a history of family conflict involving Dorgan in recent years. Those documents show multiple disputes with relatives, some reportedly connected to tensions following gender reassignment surgery Dorgan underwent in 2020.
Police records indicate that in the same year, Dorgan filed a complaint with North Providence police stating that his father-in-law wanted him removed from the family home after the surgery. Court documents allege that heated exchanges followed, including claims of derogatory language and threats. The father-in-law was charged at the time, but prosecutors later dismissed the case.
Additional records show that Dorgan’s then-wife initially referenced “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits” in divorce filings before the grounds were amended to “irreconcilable differences.” The divorce was finalized in 2021. At that time, records list Dorgan as residing in Jacksonville, Florida, and working as a truck driver.
In a separate 2020 incident, Dorgan accused his mother of assault and disorderly conduct. Charges were filed but later dismissed, according to court documentation. Court filings also reference allegations that Dorgan believed retaliation could follow if certain charges were not dropped, though authorities have not indicated whether those past conflicts are directly connected to Monday’s shooting.
Law enforcement officials have not publicly confirmed a motive. Chief Goncalves emphasized that detectives continue to review evidence and interview witnesses to determine how prior family tensions may have intersected with the events at the arena.