What began as a normal high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, turned chaotic when the sound of gunfire sent the arena into shock. Just three hours from our town of Latham, a shooting took place on Monday, February 18, at the Dennis M Lynch Arena that resulted in the deaths of two people and left three others critically injured.
The violence erupted during what was supposed to be a celebratory senior night game for the several schools that make up the team. Players were on the ice when shots were fired, sending athletes, parents, and spectators scrambling for safety. Witnesses described the moments of confusion and terror, “You don’t know what’s going on at first,” one parent said. “You just hear the loud noises. And we’re used to the kids banging on the boards with their skates, so we thought it was that at first.” When the reality of the situation became clear, she screamed for her son to duck and ran from the rink. Right after, she ran back in search of him, but instead she saw first responders performing CPR in the stands. One player recalled immediately running into the locker room when he heard the gunfire. “I went down and then I ran,” he said. “We pressed against the door and just tried to stay safe down in there. It was very scary. We were very nervous. It was a lot of shots.”
Police identified the suspect as Robert Dorgan, a 56-year-old who also used the name Roberta and the surname Esposito. Officials said Dorgan died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the arena. Investigators are still determining a motive, but Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves indicated that the events may have stemmed from a family dispute. Goncalves said a bystander had “stepped in and interjected,” most likely preventing even further harm and resulting in “a swift end of this tragic event”.
After the event, school officials moved quickly to account for students. Coventry Public Schools Superintendent Don Cowart confirmed that all members of the Coventry hockey team were safe. Providence Country Day School and St. Raphael Academy also confirmed that their students were safe and accounted for.
The shooting came just over two months after a prior tragedy in Rhode Island, when a gunman opened fire at Brown University in December, killing two students before later taking his own life after one final victim, a professor at MIT. That incident deeply impacted the broader Providence community, and Monday’s violence has reopened fresh wounds across the state.
In the aftermath, local leaders and organizations have mobilized to support those affected. Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien urged anyone impacted by the shooting to call 211, where trained professionals are available for both physical and emotional needs. Grief counseling services are being offered at the Blackstone Valley Visitor’s Center, with support from Family Service of Rhode Island, the RI Medical Reserve Corps-Trauma Response Team, and the American Red Cross.
Professional sports teams also expressed their condolences including the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and the Providence Bruins, affiliated with the Boston Bruins. The NHL’s Bruins described their heartbreak after hearing about the events and their sadness that a celebratory game was affected by senseless violence.
As investigators continue to piece together what led to the violence, the Pawtucket community, and other communities such as our own, are left grappling with how a night meant to celebrate young athletes turned into a scene of heartbreak. For many families, the echoes of gunfire inside the Dennis M Lynch Arena will not soon be forgotten.
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