10 Photos of Robert Dorgan's Ex-Wife and Family: From Jacksonville Truck Driver to Mass Shooter at Son's Hockey Game

A senior night celebration at a Rhode Island ice rink descended into carnage when 56-year-old Robert Dorgan opened fire on his own family members during a youth hockey match, leaving three dead, including himself and three others critically injured. The massacre at Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket on 16 February has exposed years of festering family conflict that culminated in one of the state's most shocking acts of domestic violence.

Court documents reveal that Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta and used the surname Esposito, had been embroiled in multiple family disputes since 2020. The shooting appeared to be a targeted attack on his relatives, according to Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, who confirmed that authorities believe the incident stemmed from a family dispute. Dorgan killed his ex-wife and shot three of his children before turning the gun on himself.

Explosive Divorce Papers Cited Surgery and Mental Health Issues

The breakdown of Dorgan's marriage came in 2020, when his then-wife Rhonda Dorgan filed for divorce citing 'gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits' as grounds for the split, according to court filings. Those reasons were later crossed out and replaced with 'irreconcilable differences which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage'. The divorce was finalised in June 2021, with paperwork showing Dorgan had relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, where he worked as a truck driver.

In early 2020, Dorgan had reported to the North Providence Police Department that he had recently undergone gender-reassignment surgery, which became a flashpoint for family tensions. According to court documents, Dorgan alleged his father-in-law wanted him removed from their shared North Providence home because of the surgery. Dorgan claimed his father-in-law threatened to 'have him murdered by an Asian street gang if he did not move out of the residence'. Court records show the father-in-law used a derogatory term for transgender individuals, telling Dorgan 'no such person was going to stay in my house'. The father-in-law was subsequently charged with intimidation of witnesses and obstruction of the judicial system, though prosecutors later dismissed the charges.

Years of Legal Battles and Family Accusations

The family turmoil extended beyond the marriage. In 2020, Dorgan accused his mother of assaulting him and acting in a 'violent, threatening or tumultuous manner'. His mother was charged with simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct, though this case was also dismissed. The dispute with his mother became another point of contention with his father-in-law. According to court documents, Dorgan told police his father-in-law warned that 'if I did not drop the assault charges against my mother that further retaliation could be expected and that was another reason to have me killed'.

Chaos Erupts During Senior Night Celebration

The attack occurred at approximately 2:30 pm during a hockey game between the Coventry-Johnston co-op team and the Blackstone Valley co-op, which includes players from St Raphael, Providence Country Day, North Providence and North Smithfield. One of Dorgan's children, a North Providence High School senior, was playing on the ice at the time of the shooting.

Livestream footage captured the moment panic gripped the arena, with players scrambling off the ice and spectators fleeing towards exits as approximately 12 rounds were fired into the crowd. Outside the Pawtucket Police Department, a woman identifying herself as the shooter's daughter told reporters, 'He shot my family, and he's dead now'. She added that her father had 'mental health issues' and was 'very sick'.

Chief Goncalves credited a good Samaritan with helping to bring the violence to a swift end. 'A good Samaritan stepped in and interjected in this scene, and that's probably what led to a swift end of this tragic event', she said at a press conference. The suspect died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, whilst two victims were killed and three others remained in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital.

Understanding Domestic Violence Warning Signs

The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence described the situation as 'deeply painful' in a statement released Monday night. 'While details are still emerging, we know that violence within families and intimate relationships can have devastating and far-reaching impacts. Domestic violence does not stay behind closed doors. It affects children, extended family members and entire communities'.

Governor Dan McKee announced that additional mental health resources would be made available to students and families affected by the tragedy. The Rhode Island Interscholastic League suspended all games temporarily 'out of respect for the victims and to reflect upon this senseless act of violence'. The shooting came barely two months after another mass shooting in Rhode Island, when a gunman opened fire at Brown University, killing two students and injuring nine others.