Chilling new details revealed in Pawtucket shooting: Did Robert Dorgan aka Roberta Esposito kill son, ex-wife over 'gender identity'?

The Pawtucket Police Department on Tuesday (Feb 17) revealed fresh chilling details in the Pawtucket, Rhode Island hockey arena shooting. The shocking tragedy unfolded on Monday (Feb 16) as a transgender dad, later identified as Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, gunned down multiple people amid a high school hockey team’s senior night ceremony. Here are fresh details revealed by the police.

What began as a celebration at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket quickly turned into horror. Families had gathered for a high school hockey team’s senior night ceremony, where graduating players were set to be honoured alongside loved ones. Instead, gunfire erupted in the stands Monday afternoon, sending spectators scrambling for safety and leaving the community in shock.

Police later described the shooting as a targeted domestic violence incident that unfolded in seconds.

Authorities identified the gunman as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who also used the name Roberta Esposito. Police said Dorgan, who was transgender and wearing women’s clothing at the time, arrived at the arena armed with two handguns, a Glock 10mm and a SIG Sauer P226.

Surveillance footage showed Dorgan entering and leaving the arena once before returning and opening fire. Investigators said there was no visible argument or warning before the attack began.

Authorities confirmed the firearms used in the attack were legally obtained, and Roberta Esposito, aka Robert Dorgan, held a concealed carry license issued in Florida.

Police confirmed that Dorgan’s ex-wife, 52-year-old Rhonda Dorgan, and their 23-year-old son, Aidan Dorgan, were killed in the shooting.

Three others were critically wounded: Rhonda’s parents, Linda and Gerald, and family friend Thomas Geruso, an assistant principal at a local high school. All were attending the hockey game to support a younger family member participating in the tournament.

According to a statement released by the Pawtucket Police Department, the motive behind the shooting remains under investigation. Calling the brutal attack "a domestic violence incident," Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves told reporters that there "was no indication that there was going to be violence. This individual had gone to many hockey games in the past."

While the exact motive remains unknown, authorities said that it seemed like Dorgan harboured a deadly resentment against his family. According to court records accessed by CBS station WPRI-TV in Providence, the shooter had a history of disputes with his family. Some of these were reportedly over his gender identity.

Investigators are also examining Dorgan’s online activity and personal history. Reports indicate a pattern of extremist social media posts, including racist and antisemitic rhetoric.

Just a day before his shooting rampage, the shooter posted an anti-Asian slur in reply to a video praising Adolf Hitler: "Really nice but a c—k made that song," he wrote. He also retweeted footage of people doing the “Sieg Heil” Nazi salute.

The New York Post identified one of Robert Dorgan's tattoos as a vile neo-Nazi design. The SS tattoo, which was on the shooter's right bicep, as per the report, represents the Schutzstaffel paramilitary organisation under Nazi Germany. It was frequently used in Third Reich propaganda and signage.

Robert, aka Roberta, also had the Totenkopf, or "death’s head" skull tattoo. In Nazi Germany, the death's head tattoo, as per the Anti-Defamation League, was a symbol of one of the branches of the SS, "whose purpose was to guard the concentration camps." Nowadays, the symbol is allegedly used by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists "because of its importance to the SS."