Court records reveal warning signs before Rhode Island hockey rink shooting

PAWTUCKET, Rhode Island — Investigators continue to examine the background of the father who opened fire during a high school hockey game, killing two relatives and injuring three others before taking his own life.

Authorities say Robert Dorgan, 56, arrived at the rink armed with multiple firearms. During the chaos, a bystander — described as the father of another hockey player — attempted to subdue and disarm him. Witnesses said the man managed to take one weapon, but Dorgan pulled out a second firearm before the violence ended. Police later recovered both weapons at the scene.

The night before the shooting, Dorgan posted a troubling message online in response to a post calling openly transgender U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride a man, writing, “keep bashing us, but do not wonder why we Go BERSERK.”

Court filings show long-standing personal and family conflict. Dorgan’s ex-wife filed for divorce in 2020, initially citing gender reassignment surgery and what she described as narcissistic and personality-related traits. The filing was later amended to irreconcilable differences, and the divorce was finalized in 2021.

Police records show that in 2020 Dorgan went to the North Providence Police Department claiming his father-in-law wanted him removed from their shared home because of his gender reassignment surgery.

According to reports, he told officers his father-in-law used a slur and said no such individual was “going to stay in my house.” He also claimed the relative had threatened to “have him murdered by an Asian street gang” if he did not leave the residence where he had lived for seven years.

Investigators are also reviewing a social media account believed to belong to Dorgan that contains thousands of posts, including political commentary and extremist rhetoric.

Officials believe the shooting was connected to a domestic dispute involving family members attending the hockey game. Three victims remained in critical condition following the attack.

The investigation remains ongoing.