Pawtucket High School Hockey Game Shooting

A chaotic scene unfolded at a high school co-op hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Monday when a man, reportedly dressed as a woman, opened fire, turning a routine event into a tragedy.

The individual, identified by authorities as Robert Dorgan, 56, but who went by the name Roberta Esposito, shot and killed his son Aidan and ex-wife Rhonda. He also severely injured Rhonda’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, along with a family friend named Thomas Gelso.

Equipped with both a Glock 29 and a Sig Sauer P226, the shooter had, well, plenty of firepower. Luckily, several quick-thinking individuals at the event intervened, helping to halt the horror.

Pawtucket’s Mayor, Don Grebien, along with local police, acknowledged the brave actions of three men—Michael Black, Robert Ratteni, and Ryan Cordeiro—who risked their lives to confront the gunman.

On Tuesday, Grebien praised the “incredible courage” of these bystanders for stepping in without hesitation. He remarked that their actions likely prevented even more injuries or loss of life.

Michael Black recounted, “I heard this popping sound and thought it was just a balloon,” as he described his initial confusion during the chaos.

When he realized something was amiss, he spotted the gun. His instinct kicked in, and he urged everyone nearby to flee. “I told my wife to run!” he remembered.

Black described how he maneuvered to tackle the shooter, pinning him down even as the gunman struggled to regain control. “I managed to get my body on him,” he said, explaining how his hand got caught in the firearm, preventing further shots.

Despite their struggles, the gunman was able to momentarily push Black off and rise again, but more bystanders quickly subdued him, with one managing to put him in a headlock.

Another witness, Ratteni, recalled, “I pulled him toward me and tried to hold him down, but it was challenging.” He recognized that, without help from others, the outcome could have been far worse.

As the confrontation unfolded, the gunman lost his footing and fell between the bleachers, where he was seen reaching for a second firearm. “I could see him panicking as he pulled it,” Black said. Tragically, in a moment of despair, the shooter took his own life.

After the shooting subsided, Black focused on the victims, while a sense of chaos engulfed the space. The rapid response of the individuals on-site was crucial in limiting further devastation.

Reportedly, a distressed woman, who chose to remain anonymous, claimed the shooter was her father and mentioned his struggles with “mental health issues.” Dorgan held a job at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and had established a reputation not for kindness but for a difficult temperament, which some speculate may have impacted his brief military service in the Marines.

Public documents noted that Rhonda Dorgan had previously cited mental health concerns as reasons for their divorce in 2020, though later she changed that to “irreconcilable differences.”

Interestingly, an online user associated with the name “Roberta Dolgano” made controversial posts, including a disturbing image allegedly featuring a Nazi tattoo.