Two victims shot dead at a high school ice hockey game in Rhode Island have been identified as the suspect’s ex-wife and son, police said on Tuesday.
Robert Dorgan – who police said also went by the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgan – was found dead inside the Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket on Monday, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after what authorities said was a targeted attack.
Dorgan’s ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, and adult son, Aidan Dorgan, died. Rhonda’s mother and father along with a family friend were injured. All three were in a critical condition at hospital.
Police have not given a motive, but said it appeared to be a family dispute.
Video of the incident showed shots fired while players were on the rink, sparking panic as the teams scrambled to leave the arena, which is located a few miles from the state capital of Providence.
Asked at a news conference on Tuesday if the shooting followed a confrontation, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said no.
She said two guns recovered from the scene – a Glock 10mm pistol and a SIG Sauer P226 – were legally owned.
Goncalves told reporters a bystander “stepped in and interjected” and “that’s probably what led to a swift end of this tragic event”.
