A third person has died after a father shot several of his estranged family members during a mass shooting at a hockey rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on February 16.
Nine days after the shooting took place, Gerald Dorgan died on Wednesday, February 25 at the age of 75 from the injuries he sustained during the shooting.
Gerald was shot by his former son-in-law, Robert Dorgan, at a high school hockey game. He was sitting with his daughter, Rhonda Dorgan, and his grandson, Aidan Dorgan, as they attended his other grandson’s Senior Night Game at the hockey rink. While the event should have been a joyous occasion, the experience turned into a nightmare when Robert, 56, opened fire.
“We are heartbroken to learn that another life has been lost as a result of last Monday’s senseless shooting at Lynch Arena,” Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said in a statement, per WPRI. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victim’s family, friends, and all those impacted by this tragic act of violence.”
Rhonda also died after being shot and Aidan was rushed to the hospital to receive treatment, where he ultimately died.
Additionally, Gerald’s wife, Linda Dorgan, and a family friend were shot and seriously injured during the attack. Pawtucket police said that they are still in the hospital as of time of publication, according to Boston 25 News.
Immediately after Robert shot his estranged family members, several bystanders tried to stop him. However, Robert ultimately shot himself and died from a self‑inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a family dispute, though police have not shared a motive.
Robert, who also went by the name Roberta and the surname Esposito, appeared to be estranged from the family at the time of the shooting. However, it’s not clear what his relationship looked like with his children following his split from Rhonda.
Boston 25 News reported that Rhonda filed for divorce in early February 2020, citing “gender reassignment surgery and narcissistic and personality disorder traits” as grounds for her decision.
However, she later crossed out the grounds for the divorce and later wrote that “irreconcilable differences” caused the “irremediable breakdown of the marriage.”
Their divorce was finalized in 2021.
Following the shooting, a woman was spotted leaving the Pawtucket police station and identified herself as Robert’s daughter. She told reporters that he “has mental health issues” and was “very sick.”
“He shot my family, and he’s dead now,” she said, per CBS News.
The outlet also spoke to several witnesses about the scary 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, said.
Dunn added that people inside of the arena didn’t initially realize that gunshots were going off. “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 said.
Olin Lawrence, a sophomore goalie that attends Coventry High School, said he thought the loud noise “was balloons at first.” He added, “It was loud. It kept going on, so I ran right into the locker room right after I got off the ice.”
