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A suspect involved in a tragic shooting at a Rhode Island ice rink on Monday, which left two people dead before the suspect took his own life, has been identified as transgender. Reports from a local news outlet, referencing court documents, reveal that the suspect had a history of family conflicts related to his gender identity.
Court documents indicate that Robert Dorgan, the individual in question, had faced several disputes with family members over recent years. These tensions reportedly intensified following his gender reassignment surgery, according to information from WPRI.
The 56-year-old Dorgan allegedly opened fire inside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket during a hockey match between Coventry and Blackstone Valley Schools. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, addressing the media on Monday, described the incident as stemming from a “family dispute.”
Police confirmed that two individuals lost their lives, while the suspect succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Additionally, three other people sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment in the hospital.
In the aftermath of the incident, authorities were seen responding outside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, where the February 16, 2026, shooting unfolded. The event has been characterized by officials as a domestic conflict, with Robert Dorgan identified as the suspect who ultimately turned the gun on himself. (Image credit: Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images; X/@VerdadEsPoder)
A federal law enforcement source told Fox News the gunman killed his wife and shot three of his children before turning the gun on himself in what the source described as a domestic violence incident.
In 2020, Dorgan reported to North Providence police that he had undergone gender-reassignment surgery and said his father-in-law wanted him out of the family home because of it. Police identified the suspect by the birth name Robert Dorgan and said he also went by “Roberta.”
According to court documents cited by WPRI, Dorgan alleged his father-in-law used a derogatory term for transgender individuals and threatened retaliation if he did not move out. The father-in-law was charged at the time, though prosecutors later dismissed the case.
A suspect who allegedly shot two people dead at a Rhode Island ice rink on Monday before killing himself had a history of past family conflict over his gender identity, a local news outlet reported, citing court documents. Police secure the perimeter outside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena after a shooting during a high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Feb. 16, 2026. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
Court filings also show Dorgan’s then-wife initially cited “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits” in divorce paperwork before the grounds were amended to “irreconcilable differences.” The divorce was finalized in 2021. Divorce records list Dorgan as living in Jacksonville, Florida, at the time and working as a truck driver.
Also in 2020, Dorgan accused his mother of assaulting him and acting in a “violent, threatening or tumultuous manner,” according to police records cited by WPRI. His mother was charged with simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct, though the case was later dismissed, court records show.
Robert Dorgan, identified by police as the suspect in the Pawtucket ice rink shooting, pictured in an undated photo. (X/@VerdadEsPoder)
The dispute was also referenced in Dorgan’s conflict with his father-in-law. According to court documents, Dorgan told police his father-in-law “told me that if I did not drop the assault charges against my mother that further retaliation could be expected and that was another reason to have me killed.
Police have not said whether those past disputes were connected to Monday’s violence, and investigators have not publicly identified a motive. Goncalves said the shooting “looked like it was a family dispute” and that detectives are still working to establish a timeline.