Good Samaritan Praised by Police for Halting Fatal Shooting at Rhode Island Ice Rink

A tragic shooting erupted at a youth hockey match in Rhode Island, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and wounding three others. The violent episode was abruptly halted by the courageous action of a bystander, according to official reports.

As of Monday evening, investigators had interviewed close to 100 witnesses to reconstruct the events that unfolded early in the afternoon at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, located just a short distance from Providence.

Pawtucket’s Police Chief, Tina Goncalves, reported that the shooter appeared to have taken their own life with a self-inflicted gunshot, although investigations are ongoing.

Goncalves praised the efforts of a yet-to-be-identified “good Samaritan” who intervened, effectively ending the assault promptly, though she withheld further specifics.

The motives behind the attack remain uncertain, as do the identities of the intended targets. Unconfirmed footage circulating on social media captures the moment, with players on the rink as gunfire echoes. The scene quickly descends into chaos, with players diving for safety, skating towards exits, and spectators hastily vacating the stands.

“It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” she said. Authorities said both people who died were adults but have not released the identities of the victims.

Goncalves identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, who she said also went by the name Roberta Esposito, who was born in 1969.

Monday’s shooting came nearly two months after Rhode Island was rocked by a shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and wounded nine others, as well as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor. Authorities later found Claudio Neves Valente, 48, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a New Hampshire storage facility.

“Our state is grieving again,” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. “As governor, a parent, and a former coach, my heart breaks for the victims, families, students, and everyone impacted by the devastating shooting at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket.”