Disturbing social media activity has emerged following a tragic shooting at a Rhode Island high school ice hockey game that left two people dead and three others injured.
On Monday, 16 February, Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, entered Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket and carried out what authorities described as a targeted attack on their wife and three children before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot.
According to CNN, two individuals were killed in the shooting and three more were wounded.
Daughter speaks out as investigation continues
In the aftermath of the shooting, an unnamed woman who identified herself as Dorgan’s daughter spoke to WCVB about her father’s mental health.
"He shot my family, and he's dead now," she said. She also told the outlet that her father “has mental health issues.”
Authorities have not yet released additional details about the motive, but law enforcement officials are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Racist and extremist social media posts revealed
Following Dorgan’s identification, social media posts began circulating online, revealing a pattern of racist, antisemitic and pro-Nazi rhetoric.
In a post dated 15 February, Dorgan responded to a video edit praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with the comment: "really nice but a c***k made that song'.
Another post dated 16 February showed Dorgan incorrectly describing the President of Switzerland as Jewish. In a separate post, Dorgan, who identified as transgender, threatened violence after US Rep. Sarah McBride was misgendered.
Past legal disputes and family tensions detailed in court records
Court documents obtained by WPRI shed light on Dorgan’s previous legal issues and personal disputes.
Divorce filings from a 2020 separation from their wife, Rhonda, indicated the couple split due to differing views regarding 'gender reassignment surgery as well as 'narcissistic + personality disorder traits', according to the records.
The divorce was filed on the grounds of 'irreconcilable differences' which 'caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage', and was finalized in 2021.
Separate reports from 2020 indicate that Dorgan contacted the North Providence Police Department to allege that their father-in-law had threatened Dorgan over their gender identity.
Dorgan claimed the man used a derogatory term for a trans person while saying that Dorgan was no longer welcome 'to stay in my house' and also threatened to have them "murdered by an Asian street gang if he did not move out of the residence".
The father-in-law was subsequently charged with intimidation of witnesses and victims of crimes and obstruction of the judicial system, though prosecutors later dismissed those charges.