In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, what should have been an ordinary afternoon at a high school hockey game erupted into tragedy on Monday. At around 2:30 p.m., gunfire broke out in the stands at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, and the shooter was quickly identified as Robert Dorgan, 56, a man with personal ties to people in attendance.
Police say Dorgan opened fire on his former wife, Rhonda Dorgan, and their adult son, Aidan Dorgan, killing both. The couple’s divorce had been finalized years earlier, but the attack was described by law enforcement as “very targeted,” rooted in deep personal conflict. Rhonda fell at the scene. Aidan was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died. Dorgan then turned the gun on himself, dying of a self‑inflicted wound before officers could take him into custody.
Three others were critically wounded in the attack and rushed to hospitals for treatment. Among them were Rhonda’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and a family friend, Thomas Geruso, who works in education. All were in the stands as supporters of a player on the ice when the violence unfolded. Witnesses remember the moment as surreal, with popping sounds blending into the shouts of players and the screams of spectators as they tried to escape danger.
Good Samaritans in the crowd acted quickly in the moments after the first shots. Some rushed toward Dorgan and managed to wrest weapons from him, slowing the attack and allowing others to help restrain him. That intervention likely prevented further loss of life, police say. Responding officers and emergency personnel arrived minutes later to secure the scene and care for victims.
Authorities recovered two firearms at the rink, and investigators said both were legally owned. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves noted that there had been no visible signs before the game that violence was imminent. Dorgan had attended family hockey games in the past without incident, making his actions on Monday especially shocking to those who saw him at the arena.
The shooting has prompted an outpouring of emotion across Pawtucket and neighboring towns. Community members gathered outside the rink after the incident, hugging young players and comforting each other. School officials called for calm and offered support to students and families unsettled by the violence. Conversations about safety at public events and the signs of personal distress have now become central to the community’s response.
Family members, friends, and neighbors remember Rhonda as a devoted mother and Aidan as a promising young man with warm friendships and plans for the future. Their loss has left a deep hole in the hearts of those who knew them. Support for the wounded and their families continues, even as the city grapples with the shock of a familiar face committing such unexpected violence in a place meant for sport and community.
At the arena and beyond, Pawtucket residents are seeking ways to move forward, honoring the memory of those lost while supporting the healing of those left behind.
