New details about a shooting continue to emerge Rhode Island high school hockey tournament, NBC 10’s Dan Jaehnig reported, citing a law enforcement agency, that the shooter may have been wearing women’s clothing. The event took place at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena During a youth ice hockey game in Pawtucket, a few miles outside of Providence.
Police gather outside Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, RI, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, after a shooting at the ice rink. AP/PTI(AP02_17_2026_000006B) (AP)Police identified the gunman as Robert Dorgan, who also gave his name Roberta Esposito, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said at a news conference at 9:30 p.m., according to the Providence Journal. Pictures of the alleged gunman have surfaced on social media.
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Although Goncalves did not reveal exactly how the gunman was related to the victims, local reports claimed the gunman was a father who shot his wife and three children.
“It appears that this was a targeted incident, it may have been a family dispute,” Goncalves said. “We can’t release the names of the victims because obviously, we want to talk to the family, make sure the family is well aware of what happened before we release that information publicly.”
Goncalves added that police were not involved in the suspect’s death.
“It appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but we’re going to investigate it fully,” Goncalves said. The police were not involved.
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According to a witness, the father of one of the players disarmed the gunman. But he allegedly had another weapon and fired again.
The gunman was found dead inside Lynch Arena, along with another victim. Another person died at the hospital and three others were in critical condition, police said, according to the New York Post.
The pictures surfaced on social mediaPictures claiming to show Dorgan have surfaced on social media. Take a look:
HT.com has not independently verified whether Dorgan can be seen in the pictures posted on social media.
