Deadly R.I. shooting: Officials provide timeline of events, confirm victims’ identities
The two people who were shot and killed Monday afternoon at a high school hockey game in Pawtucket were the ex-wife and adult son of the suspected shooter , Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
The younger son of the suspect — who was born Robert Dorgan, but was transgender and went by the names Roberta Dorgan and Roberta Esposito — was playing in the game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, Goncalves said during a press conference.
Rhonda Dorgan, the ex-wife of the 56-year-old suspect, died of a gunshot wound after gunfire broke out around 2:30 p.m., the police chief said. Aidan Dorgan, the Dorgans' adult son, was taken to a hospital after he was shot at the ice rink, but he died of his injuries.
The other three people who were shot were Rhonda Dorgan's parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and a family friend named Thomas Geruso, Goncalves said. They remain in critical care at a hospital as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
How the shooting unfolded
The suspect and Rhonda Dorgan's younger son, who is a minor, was competing in the Monday afternoon hockey game, Goncalves said. The suspect and all five victims were at the arena to watch the boy play — something the suspect had often done in the past.
"There was no indication from the family or friends that any violence was underway, or that they were in fear of [the suspect]," the police chief said.
Goncalves previously characterized the shooting as "a family dispute," but said Tuesday that video footage from the incident does not show a confrontation or conversation between the suspect and the victims prior to the shooting.
After gunfire broke out midway through the game, at least three bystanders surrounded the suspect, the police chief said. At that time, Dorgan took out a second firearm and died by suicide.
"We continue to look into what the motivation was," Goncalves said. "We're not sure at this point what the trigger event was that happened yesterday."
The suspect was seen leaving and reentering the arena prior to the shooting, the police chief said. It is unclear whether Dorgan was carrying the two guns prior to reentering the ice rink.
A burst of over a dozen gunshots can be heard on a video of the hockey game that was recorded by a sports live-streaming service, but the shooting occurs off-camera. Within seconds, screaming can be heard, players can be seen rushing off the ice and spectators can be seen dispersing.
The shooting happened during a boys hockey game between the Coventry/Johnston school district and Blackstone Valley Co-op, which includes players from several Rhode Island schools, The Providence Journal reported .
"The children that were on the ice — this was supposed to be a joyous event for them. It was their senior night at a hockey game, a normal high school game, that should have gone on without any type of violence," Goncalves said.
Pawtucket police responded to the ice rink within 90 seconds of receiving a call about the shooting, the police chief said. Nurses, firefighters and other first-responders who were attending the game provided medical aid to the victims until Pawtucket police and firefighters arrived.
The investigation into the shooting
Police are in the process of carrying out multiple search warrants in connection with the shooting, including one in another state that the FBI is assisting with, Goncalves said.
There is no evidence that the suspect was living in Rhode Island prior to the shooting, the police chief said. Dorgan had a license to carry in Florida, but authorities are still investigating whether the suspect had a license to carry in Rhode Island.
Police recovered two pistols at the scene: a Glock 10mm and a SIG Sauer P226, Goncalves said. Both were purchased legally.
The suspect had not interacted with Pawtucket police prior to the shooting, the police chief said. Dorgan was known to other Rhode Island police departments, but none of those interactions indicated a risk of violence.
There was little security at the hockey game, but the ice rink had no reason to think such measures would be necessary Monday afternoon, Goncalves said.
"If Lynch Arena felt like there was a need for it, they would've reached out," she said. "There was no indication that there was any type of violence that was going to happen at the event."
So far, investigators have pieced together what happened through the sports live-streaming service's footage, videos taken by people who were attending the hockey game and hundreds of witness interviews, Goncalves said.
The police chief asked anyone with photos or videos of the incident to contact Pawtucket police at 401-727-9100, ext. 1711. She said more information about the shooting will be released as the investigation continues.
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