Terrified Rhode Island hockey players fled from Robert Dorgan on their skates to nearby stores after balloon popping gunfire left multiple dead: Live updates
Horrified high school hockey players fled to nearby stores on their ice skates after a transgender shooter opened fire on their Senior Night game in Rhode Island.
Horrified high school hockey players fled to nearby stores on their ice skates after a transgender shooter opened fire on their Senior Night game in Rhode Island.
Robert Dorgan, 56, who went by the name Roberta and used the last name Esposito, fired at least a dozen shots in the stands at the Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket on Monday afternoon, killing two people before turning the gun on himself, according to police.
His ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, 52, died at the indoor skating rink, and one of her adult children, who has not been identified, was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Dorgan entered the ice rink Monday afternoon to watch the Senior Night hockey game, which a relative had been playing in when he opened.
Livestream footage from the game showed players starting to duck down on the sidelines after about six shots rang out at the rink.
Olin Lawrence, a 16-year-old goalkeeper who was on the ice when the rampage started, said at first he thought the gunfire was balloons popping.
‘I was in mid-play, I heard a couple gunshots go off - I thought it was balloons at first, it was loud - and then it kept going on, so I ran right into the locker room after I left off the ice,’ he told NBC Boston.
Surveillance footage showed hockey players fleeing to a nearby convenience store while still in full gear.
Follow along for the latest updates.
Hockey players fled ice rink in full gear
High school hockey players fled in full gear after Robert Dorgan, 56, opened fire at their Senior Night game on Monday.
Olin Lawrence, a 16-year-old goalkeeper who was on the ice when the rampage started, said at first he thought the gunfire was balloons popping.
'I was in mid-play, I heard a couple gunshots go off - I thought it was balloons at first, it was loud - and then it kept going on, so I ran right into the locker room after I left off the ice,' he told NBC Boston.
Surveillance footage showed hockey players fleeing to a nearby convenience store while still in full gear.
Boston 25 reported that families who reached the store asked the owner to lock the doors, then the players were finally able to remove their skates.
14:27
Player describes moment gunfire rang out during game
Olin Lawrence, a 16-year-old goalkeeper who was on the ice when the rampage started, said at first he thought the gunfire was balloons popping.
'It was like, "bop, bop," and I thought it was balloons, but it just kept going, and it was actually gunshots,' he told Boston 25.
'After the gunshots, me and my teammates ran right to the locker room, and we just bunkered up. We pressed against the door and just tried to stay safe down in there.'
13:56
Woman murdered by transgender ex identified
Rhonda Dorgan, 52, was shot dead by her ex-husband Robert Dorgan - who also went by the name Roberta Esposito - at their son's hockey game at the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, a few miles outside Providence, on Monday afternoon.
Rhonda died at the indoor skating rink and one of her adult children ,who has not been identified, was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Two other family members and a family friend were injured in the shooting, WPRI reported.
Rhonda Dorgan, 52, was shot dead by her ex-husband Robert Dorgan - who also went by the name Roberta Esposito - at their son's hockey game at the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket on Monday.
13:53
Harrowing moment high school hockey players flee for their lives
Livestream footage of the game showed players starting to duck down on the sidelines after about six shots rang out at the Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, about 10 minutes outside of Providence.
Other players who were on the ice scrambled to reach the sidelines and get to safety.
After a total of about a dozen shots were fired as spectators could be heard screaming and crying.
Shocking video shows the moment high school hockey players were forced to flee for their lives after a gunman opened fire at an ice rink in Rhode Island on Monday, killing two people.
13:52
Chilling warning signs from trans dad shooter
The gunman who killed two people at a youth hockey game in Rhode Island appeared to post ominous warnings in the days before the deadly shooting.
An online profile that appears to belong to Robert Dorgan, 56, who also went by the name 'Roberta Esposito', shared an eerie video of a woman running on a treadmill while loading ammunition magazines into a handgun and aiming.
In another post on X, a profile for 'Roberta Dorgano' threatened to go 'BERSERK' while defending transgender Congresswoman Sarah McBride.
Robert Dorgan, 56, who killed two people at a youth hockey game in Rhode Island on Monday, appeared to post an ominous warning just days before the shooting.
