Photo: Robert Dorgan/Facebook
The transgender dad identified as the suspect in the mass shooting at a Rhode Island hockey game threatened to go "BERSERK" one day prior to the incident, the New York Post reports.
Robert Dorgan, also known as Roberta Esposito, was identified as the shooter who killed himself after opening fire at the Pawtucket ice ring where his son was playing on Monday (February 16), less than one week after another transgender gunman committed one of Canada's deadliest mass shootings, killing nine and injuring 27 at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The shooting took place hours after Dorgan posted a response to actor Kevin Sorbo, an outspoken Republican, sharing a photo of transgender Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride and referring to her as a man on his X account.
“Keep bashing us. But do not wonder why we Go BERSERK,” Dorgan wrote in the post, which was screengrabbed by the New York Post.
Dorgan is believed to have been targeting his own family during the ice rink shooting following years of heated court disputes over his identity, with his ex-wife filing for divorce in 2020 on the grounds of “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits,” which was finalized in 2021, according to documents obtained by WPRI. The mother of Dorgan's son and the teenager's sibling were reported to be the two victims killed in the incident, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to WPRI, though it wasn't immediately clear if the woman was Dorgan's ex-wife.
Two relatives and a family friend were also reported to be critically injured during the incdent. A woman who was seen leaving the Pawtucket Police station identified herself as the gunman's daughter and told reporters he had "mental health issues" and was "very sick."
“He shot my family and he’s dead now,” she added via the New York Post.
Police haven't released any details about the victims and are still investigating the exact motive.
“It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said via the New York Post.
The incident was reported at Lynch Arena, the home ice for the Johnson and Wales Wildcats hockey team. Teams from Coventry, Johnston, North Providence, and North Smithfield high schools were participating in games with St. Raphael Academy and Providence Country Day School when shots were fired at the facility.