A disgruntled dad has been identified by police as the gunman behind a deadly mass shooting that took place inside a hockey rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Monday, February 16. The shooter allegedly targeted members of his own family before dying by suicide.
Officials with the Pawtucket Police Department confirmed that three people — including the suspected gunman — have died following the shooting on Monday, February 16, according to WCVB. The shooter has been identified as Robert Dorgan, though Dorgan also used the name Roberta and the surname Esposito.
In addition to the three fatalities, three other people were injured in the shooting that unfolded around 3 p.m. at a high school hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena on Andrew D. Ferland Way.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said that the shooting was possibly domestic in nature, sharing that the victims were members of the suspect’s family and a family friend.
After the shooter committed the killings, Goncalves said that investigators believe Dorgan died by suicide.
Goncalves added that a “good Samaritan stepped in and interjected in the scene.” She continued, “That’s probably what led to a swift end of this tragic event.”
There was more than one weapon recovered from the scene, according to Goncalves.
Dorgan was the father of a senior at North Providence High School, according to WPRI. During the event, in which his son’s school was one of the six teams participating in the games, Dorgan reportedly shot his son’s mother, their three children and a family friend who were all attending the game as spectators.
The outlet reported that the mother died at the scene, while one of the children was transported to a hospital and later died from their injuries.
After the shooting took place, a woman was seen leaving Pawtucket Police Department and told reporters, “My father was the shooter.” She also claimed that Dorgan was dealing with “mental health issues” prior to the incident.
“He shot my family, and he’s dead now,” she said, adding that Dorgan was “very sick.”
Following the shooting, several witnesses spoke to CBS News about the experience.
“It was supposed to be a special day for the team, and it’s really sad,” Melissa Dunn, whose son plays on one of the hockey teams, told the outlet.
Dunn added that people inside of the arena didn’t initially realize that the noises they were hearing were gun shots. “You just hear the loud noises. And we’re used to the kids banging on the board with their skates, so we thought it was that at first,” she recalled.
Olin Lawrence, a sophomore goalie from Coventry High School, said he “thought it was balloons at first.” He continued, “It was loud. It kept going on, so I ran right into the locker room right after I got off the ice.”
Lawrence said that he and the other players barricaded themselves in the locker room after the shots were fired.
“We were just trying to be safe. We were trying to see if everyone was all good and if everyone was safe. Just to get everyone on the door,” he said. “We pressed against the door and just tried to stay safe down in there. It was very scary. We were very nervous. It was a lot of shots.”
The Pawtucket Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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