Rhode Island Hockey Massacre: Third Victim Dies After Family Shooting Spree
The tragic toll rises in the Rhode Island hockey shooting as Gerald “Gerry” Dorgan, 75, succumbs to his injuries. He is the third victim to die following the horrifying family rampage at Pawtucket’s Dennis M. Lynch Arena on February 16.
Family Horror Deepens as Gerry Dorgan Dies
Gerry, critical ever since the shooting, passed away Wednesday, plunging the local community into deeper grief. His daughter Rhonda, 52, and grandson Aidan, 23, were also killed when Rhonda’s transgender ex-husband, Robert Dorgan, opened fire during a youth hockey game. Two others—Linda Dorgan, Rhonda’s mother, and family friend Thomas Geruso, an assistant principal—remain in serious but stable condition.
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien voiced his sorrow: “Another person has died because of this senseless shooting.”
Heroic Bystanders Risk Lives to Stop Gunman
Robert Dorgan, 56, who also went by Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano, unleashed his attack specifically targeting family members during the hockey match involving his youngest son.
But quick-thinking bystanders turned the tide. Michael Black, 58, lunged at Dorgan’s handgun, jamming it despite getting his hand caught in the chamber. Together with others, they wrestled the gunman down, using a chokehold to subdue him. Dorgan later died from a self-inflicted gunshot using a second weapon.
Family Feud Behind Deadly Rampage
Dorgan’s daughter Amanda Wallace-Hubbard, who witnessed the carnage, revealed the shooter had harboured longstanding grudges against his family. Estranged from six children, Amanda insisted gender identity was not the root cause.
“Gender identity was not remotely a factor in him being ostracized from the family… it was just a symptom of something much deeper his entire adult life,” Amanda said.
She described her father battling inner “demons” but refusing crucial mental health care.
Divorce Drama and Twisted Motive
Robert and Rhonda married in 1992 but divorced amid turmoil in 2021. Rhonda initially cited “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic and personality disorder traits” but later changed the reason to “irreconcilable differences.”
Authorities confirm the shooting was “targeted,” stemming from a bitter family dispute. However, they have not explicitly tied the violence to gender identity issues alone.
A family friend paid tribute to Gerry, calling him “the coolest Dad” and “one tough son of a gun” who was always there for those he loved.
