In a terrifying incident at a Rhode Island hockey game, quick-thinking bystanders intervened to stop a shooter, preventing further loss of life. The attack, which unfolded on Monday, saw Robert Dorgan open fire on family members before being subdued by three members of the public.
Chaos in the Stands
Sitting in the stands, Michael Black initially mistook the sound of gunfire for popping balloons. Realising the danger, he told his wife to run and then lunged towards the shooter's handgun. Black managed to jam the weapon by getting his left hand caught in the chamber, briefly holding Dorgan down.
A Desperate Struggle
Dorgan, a former bodybuilder, hoisted Black into the air before at least two other bystanders rushed over to help. Video footage shows one of them putting Dorgan into a choke hold. The shooter fell to the ground with Black on top of him. Dorgan then died from a self-inflicted gunshot after pulling out a second firearm as the two locked eyes.
"The first thought was the safety of my wife. And the second thought was, because the bullets were coming out, was to focus in on the gun," Black recounted. "Get the gun and then subdue the shooter."
Victims and Heroes
Pawtucket police identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, who also used the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano. The attack claimed the lives of Dorgan's ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and adult son Aidan Dorgan. Three others were injured and remained in critical condition: Rhonda Dorgan’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and a family friend, Thomas Geruso.
Police praised the "courageous citizens" who intervened, stating they "undoubtedly prevented further injury and increased the chances of survival for the injured." Alongside Black, Robert Rattenni and Ryan Cordeiro are credited with subduing the suspect. Retired Rhode Island firefighters and EMTs Chris Librizzi and Glenn Narodowy, along with nurse Maryann Rattenni, provided crucial first aid in the immediate aftermath.
Shooter's Background
Authorities have not directly confirmed that Dorgan was transgender, stating questions around gender identity are not relevant to their investigation. However, court records indicate it was a contributing factor in his wife filing for divorce in 2020 after nearly 30 years of marriage. Dorgan's social media accounts mentioned being transgender and sharing far-right ideologies.
Aftermath and Reflection
Black described Dorgan as walking down rows of seats, determined to shoot more people. While pinning the shooter's head with his knee, Black noticed Dorgan had additional magazines containing "quite a few bullets." With Dorgan dead, other bystanders rushed to treat the five shooting victims lying between the bleachers, with blood everywhere.
Police arrived within minutes, and Black, with his injured hand, was escorted to the parking lot where he reunited with his wife. "She said, 'I heard you helped with the shooter. And she says, what’s all the blood? I said, 'I got my hand caught in the gun.' And then she said, 'Honey, I don’t know whether I should be proud of you, but I’m pissed off at you for putting yourself in that situation,'" Black recalled.
A Reluctant Hero
While receiving treatment for his injured hand in hospital, a nurse called Black a hero—a label that has been repeatedly applied to all three bystanders. "I said I don’t feel like I’m a hero right now," Black said. "I looked up and I was feeling for the family. So I started getting some tears in my eyes. And then she got tears in her eyes, too. It was just a moment of decompression at that point."
Reflecting on the tragedy, Black, who was in South Carolina on a college visit with his son during a Zoom interview on Thursday, said, "I look at it as being fortunate, saddened tremendously in the loss, but fortunate that a small group of people could make a difference."
