Police say two adults were killed and three people were critically wounded during a game in Pawtucket.
PAWTUCKET, RI — A suspected gunman opened fire during a high school hockey game at a city ice rink Monday afternoon, killing two adults and critically wounding three others before the suspect died, police said. Officers and emergency crews rushed to the Dennis M. Lynch Arena as players and families fled.
The shooting stunned a community gathered for what officials described as a senior-day celebration and raised urgent questions about how a family dispute spilled into a crowded public sporting event. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said investigators believe the violence was targeted and tied to a family-related conflict. State and federal agents joined local police as detectives began interviewing witnesses, reviewing video and tracing the weapon or weapons used. The three wounded victims remained hospitalized in critical condition late Monday.
Police said the gunfire erupted around 2:30 p.m. as a boys’ game was underway at the arena, drawing students from multiple schools along with parents, siblings and other spectators. The suspect entered the building to watch a family member play, Goncalves said, and then began shooting in the stands. The suspect died at the scene from what police described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Goncalves identified the suspect as Robert Dorgan, who also used the name Roberta Esposito and was born in 1969. She said a bystander stepped in during the chaos and tried to subdue the shooter, an act she credited with bringing a swift end to the violence.
Witnesses described the first sounds as confusing and sudden, especially in an arena used to loud music, celebrations and the slap of pucks against boards. A player from the Coventry Olin Lawrence team said the noise initially seemed like balloons popping. “I thought it was balloons at first,” the player said, recalling how the sounds kept coming until it was clear they were gunshots. The player said teammates ran to the locker room, pressed against the door and tried to stay quiet and safe. Branden Mello, a sports editor who was inside the rink, said he also mistook the first pops for part of the senior-day atmosphere before someone nearby warned, “That’s gunfire. Get down,” and the stands emptied in a rush.
Officials said two victims died — one at the arena and a second later at a hospital — and three others were taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police have not released the names of the victims, describing them as adults and saying investigators were still notifying relatives and working through the ties between those involved. Goncalves said the shooting appeared to have grown out of a family dispute and that a family friend was also part of the conflict, though she did not give additional details. Investigators said they were collecting accounts from players, parents and arena staff, and they urged people with video from phones or from the stands to share it with detectives as they try to map the suspect’s movements before the first shots.
Law enforcement officials said the response drew Pawtucket police, Rhode Island State Police and federal partners, including agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A federal law enforcement official said agents were assisting with resources at the scene as part of standard support in a shooting investigation. City leaders said the rink entrance was quickly sealed off as officers cleared the building and medics triaged the wounded. Investigators said police arrived within about 90 seconds of the first reports and then began sweeping the bleachers, locker-room corridors and common areas to ensure there was no ongoing threat. By Monday night, detectives said they were also reviewing livestream and surveillance video and continuing interviews with more than 100 witnesses.
The shooting hit during a winter sports season when school hockey games often draw broad community crowds, especially on senior day, when teams recognize older players and families gather for photos. Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien said the arena was supposed to be a safe place for students and relatives to enjoy a game, and he called the violence “very tragic.” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said the state was grieving and pledged support for the families and students affected. Pawtucket sits just north of Providence near the Massachusetts border, and the rink serves local schools and youth programs, meaning many people in the stands were from different towns. Messages sent to families by school officials said student athletes were accounted for and reunification plans were being coordinated.
Authorities said the investigation would continue through autopsies, ballistics work and interviews as they determine exactly who was targeted, how the suspect obtained access to the arena and whether one or more firearms were involved. Police said they were working to confirm the timeline from the moment the suspect entered the building to the intervention by the bystander in the stands. Detectives were expected to seek search warrants connected to the suspect’s background and communications, and to review any prior calls for service tied to the family dispute described by investigators. Officials said no charges will be filed against the suspect because the suspect is dead, but they emphasized that the case remains active as they build a full account for victims’ families and the public.
Outside the arena, parents hugged children and teammates tried to locate one another as police directed groups away from the building. Flowers were placed near the rink entrance as word spread. One parent described dropping to the floor during the chaos and then searching for their child in the crowd, saying it all happened too fast to understand in the moment. In a separate scene later, a woman leaving the police department told reporters the suspect was her father and said family members had been shot. City officials said crisis counselors and support services would be made available for students, families and others who were inside the arena when shots were fired.
By early Tuesday, police said the three wounded victims remained in critical condition and detectives were continuing witness interviews and video review. City officials said grief counseling services were being offered at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center starting Tuesday, with additional hours planned beginning Wednesday as needed.
Author note: Last updated February 17, 2026.