The suspect in a fatal shooting at a Rhode Island ice rink had experienced family conflict after undergoing gender reassignment surgery, court documents reveal. Robert Dorgan, 56, also known as Roberta and sometimes using the surname Esposito, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after the attack on Monday night, which left two dead and several injured.
According to court records cited by local news channel WPRI, Dorgan had made multiple complaints to police alleging assaults, intimidation, and death threats from relatives. The issues escalated after Dorgan's gender reassignment surgery in early 2020, with the father-in-law allegedly ordering Dorgan to leave the family home and threatening murder by an Asian street gang. The father-in-law was charged with intimidation but the charges were later dismissed.
Dorgan's marriage also broke down around the same time. His then-wife Rhonda Dorgan filed for divorce citing 'gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits', though these reasons were crossed out and replaced with 'irreconcilable differences'. The divorce was finalised in June 2021, with Dorgan working as a truck driver in Florida.
Further court documents show Dorgan's mother was charged with assault and disorderly conduct after an altercation, but the case was dismissed. Dorgan claimed the father-in-law pressured him to drop those charges, warning of retaliation otherwise.
The shooting occurred at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket during a hockey game. Witnesses described panic as shots rang out, with spectators stampeding for exits. Police chief Tina Goncalves credited a 'good Samaritan' with intervening to end the incident swiftly. The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence called the event 'deeply painful', noting that domestic violence often has far-reaching community impacts.
