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Chilling livestream footage shows moment shooter 'opened fire at wife and three children' at Rhode Island hockey game, killing 2
A livestream meant to allow family members to watch a high school hockey tournament from afar instead recorded the horrifying moment gunfire broke out inside a Rhode Island arena, leaving two people dead and three others injured.
Authorities say Robert Dorgan, 56, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, opened fire inside Lynch Arena in Pawtucket around 2:30PM. on Feb. 16. Police are investigating the shooting as a “family dispute.”
Per WPRI, Dorgan, the parent of a North Providence High School senior competing in the tournament, later took their own life, according to officials. Their body was found near one of the victims.
The game between two co-op teams was underway when roughly 11 shots rang out, as heard on the livestream. The chaos that followed unfolded in real time, with students, parents, and staff scrambling to protect themselves inside the packed rink.
Panic erupts as shots ring out inside Lynch Arena
Video from the broadcast shows spectators in the stands dropping to the floor as the sound of gunfire echoed through the arena. Players skating on the ice had little cover and quickly rushed off the rink, later barricading themselves inside a locker room. None of the players appeared to be injured.
Those seated in the stands ran toward exits, while some athletes trapped in the penalty box squeezed out two at a time. Several ditched their skates in the process. Others climbed over the boards surrounding the rink and joined teammates seeking shelter. One group of attendees near the Blackstone Valley Schools’ bench remained in place as others fled.
In a separate video shared on social media, fans can be seen running from a corner of the rink, including a cameraman who had been filming the matchup.
Suspect identified as parent of player
Police said Dorgan shot four family members and one family friend. The student’s mother and sibling were among those killed, multiple sources told WPRI. In total, five people were shot, with two fatalities. After the attack, authorities believe Dorgan turned the gun on themself.
Branden Mello, a local sports editor who was present, said Dorgan had been seated in the last row near the Blackstone Valley Schools’ bench before moving closer to the front and firing at individuals in the “second or third row.
Mello also said another father confronted Dorgan and wrestled a gun away from them, but the suspect still “had a second weapon” and fired again.
Students from Coventry, Johnston, North Providence, and North Smithfield high schools were at the arena, along with attendees from St. Raphael Academy and Providence Country Day School. Officials from St. Raphael Academy, Coventry’s superintendent, and Johnston Public Schools confirmed that their students were safe and accounted for as the investigation continued.