❓WHAT HAPPENED: A grandfather, Gerald “Gerry” Dorgan, became the third person to succumb to their injuries following a mass shooting at a youth hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, carried out by his daughter’s transgender ex-husband, Robert Dorgan.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gerald Dorgan, his daughter Rhonda Dorgan, and his grandson Aidan Dorgan were killed. Robert Dorgan, who also went by Roberta Esposito, was the shooter and took his own life after the shootings. Several others, including Gerald’s wife Linda Dorgan and Thomas Geruso, were injured.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The shooting occurred on February 16, 2026, at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victim’s family, friends, and all those impacted by this tragic act of violence.” – Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien
🎯IMPACT: The National Pulse previously reported that Robert Dorgan had a history of family conflicts tied to his gender identity.
Gerald “Gerry” Dorgan, 75, has died after being critically injured in a mass shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The shooting, carried out by his transgender ex-son-in-law, Robert Dorgan, targeted Gerald’s family members during a youth hockey game on February 16, 2026.
The attack also claimed the lives of Gerald’s daughter, Rhonda Dorgan, 52, and grandson, Aidan Dorgan, 23. Two others, Linda Dorgan—Gerald’s wife—and Thomas Geruso remain hospitalized in serious but stable condition. Robert Dorgan, a male-to-female transgender who also went by the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano, was reportedly targeting his family and died by suicide after being subdued by bystanders.
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien (D) expressed his condolences, saying, “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victim’s family, friends, and all those impacted by this tragic act of violence.” Police confirmed the motive stemmed from a family dispute. The National Pulse previously reported that Robert Dorgan had a history of family conflicts tied to his gender identity. In 2020, he reported to North Providence police that he had undergone gender reassignment surgery, after which Gerald Dorgan demanded he leave the family home and used a derogatory term for transgenders. According to his daughter, Amanda Wallace-Hubbard, Robert Dorgan had a “vendetta” against his family.
Bystanders, including Michael Black, played a critical role in stopping the shooter. Black managed to jam the gun’s chamber with his hand and tackled Dorgan with assistance from others. Despite their efforts, Dorgan retrieved a second firearm and took his own life.
Image by Oriel Frankie Ashcroft.
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