A father, identified as Robert Dorgan, reportedly shot his ex-wife and one of their sons during a high school hockey game, just hours after a celebratory photo was taken for the “Senior Night.” This tragic event took place on February 16 at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where Dorgan’s son, Colin, was being honored along with his teammates.
Photographer Chip DeLorenzo was present during the pregame ceremony, capturing moments of Colin with his mother, Rhonda, and his brother Aidan, who was 23. It was, perhaps, one of the last times they were together as a family before the shooting occurred.
DeLorenzo recalled, “The first photo was of the player with his mother and brother. The second was just the player with his mother.” Annually, the Blackstone Valley hockey team honors its senior athletes, celebrating their achievements with family in a way that fosters community connection.
During the game, chaos erupted when Dorgan, who is 56 years old and also known as Roberta Esposito, drew a weapon and opened fire, killing Rhonda and injuring others, including Linda and Gerald Dorgan, his former in-laws, as well as a family friend. Eyewitness DeLorenzo initially mistook the sounds for fireworks until he realized the severity of the situation.
Witnessing the panic as spectators tried to escape and players left the ice, DeLorenzo took cover. He later found an emergency exit and managed to leave the arena. Rhonda was pronounced dead at the scene, and Aidan succumbed to his injuries hours later in the hospital.
Following the shooting, Dorgan turned the gun on himself. Reports indicate that he and Rhonda had divorced in 2021, partly due to Robert’s gender reassignment surgery and reported mental health issues. Rhonda had initially cited more troubling reasons for their separation but eventually rephrased the divorce to “irreconcilable differences.”
Several days later, DeLorenzo noted the emotional toll the incident has taken on him, as he hopes to eventually share the photographs with Rhonda’s family, believing they may find comfort in those last moments of unity. “I can’t really fathom what they’re going through,” he reflected, expressing his desire to be there for the family when they’re ready to look back at those memories.
