Shocking footage has surfaced showing courageous spectators attempting to confront a transgender father who opened fire at a high school hockey game in Rhode Island. The incident resulted in the deaths of two family members and injuries to three others before the shooter took his own life.
A somewhat unclear video posted online depicts the assailant walking down the aisles of the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, with chaos erupting as people fought for their safety. At one point, the gunman appears to lower his weapon, according to the clip.
As the mayhem unfolded, several individuals bravely intervened against the shooter, identified by police as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who was the father of a senior hockey player at North Providence High School.
“Many people were falling and getting trampled,” recounted Izzy Souza, a pitcher for the St. Raphael’s softball team, indicating she was in the stands when it happened. She escaped the turmoil with only minor injuries.
“I kept thinking that if I fell, I might not survive,” she shared.
The victims included Dorgan’s ex-wife, the mother of his hockey-playing son, and the student’s brother, according to various officials. It’s still unclear whether his ex-wife is the same woman he shot.
The shooting took place on Senior Day, a significant event for participating players. Remarkably, the moment shots were fired was also streamed live for family members unable to attend the game.
“Initially, when we heard the first three shots, we thought it was just balloons popping from the decorations,” Souza explained. “But after the next round of bangs, we knew it was gunfire. Everyone bolted to escape,” she said.
Her friend Ella Taylor, who was watching with her, noted that Souza fell for a moment and was trampled in the rush to get away.
They eventually found safety at a nearby Walgreens before heading back to their car. There, they called their mothers, overwhelmed by what they had witnessed.
“I feel completely numb right now, if that makes any sense,” Souza admitted. “Memories of what happened sometimes hit me out of nowhere, making me feel really emotional, but it still feels surreal.”
Orin Lawrence, a sophomore goaltender from Coventry High School, also recounted his experience, revealing how he and his teammates quickly retreated to the locker room to secure themselves.
“We were just focused on keeping everyone safe and ushering everyone inside. It was terrifying, and we felt immense fear with the sounds of gunfire,” he stated.
According to the Pawtucket Police Department, Dorgan was involved in a tragic incident where he shot and killed four family members—two victims died, along with a family friend—before turning the gun on himself. Authorities are looking into the incident as a domestic dispute.
Dorgan reportedly underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2020, and court records suggest his gender identity had been a source of family conflict in the lead-up to the shooting, which appears to have been premeditated.
This incident occurred just over two months after a gunman attacked Brown University in Providence, resulting in two fatalities and nine injuries. Pawtucket is located only a few miles north of Providence.
