Tragedy at the Rink: 3 Dead, 3 Wounded in Pawtucket Senior Night Shooting
According to AP News, the fatal shooting on February 16th, 2026 of Rhonda Dorgan and her son, Aidan Dorgan, following the attack at Dennis M. Lynch Arena, shook the local Pawtucket community. 23-year-old Aidan Dorgan was a recent college graduate and engineer who was killed while cheering for his younger brother’s senior hockey game. His mother, 52-year-old Rhonda, was a committed mother who spent her time cheering for her children. The shooter was revealed to be 56 year old Robert Dorgan, who was known as Roberta Esposito after her gender transition. This family conflict ended with three dead, including Esposito herself, dying from a self-inflicted wound(Kruesi).
The Recap
As mother, Rhonda Dorgan, and brother, Aidan Dorgan, came to celebrate 17 year old senior Colin Dorgan at his hockey senior night, a devastating shooting occurred that took their lives. The shooter, Roberta Esposito, fired from the stand at approximately 2:30pm, and killed three people, including Rhonda Dorgan, Aidan Dorgan and herself. This incident also led to three injuries, including Linda and Gerald Wallace, who were the parents of Rhonda Dorgan, and Thomas Geruso, a friend of the Dorgan family. They are all in critical condition as of February 18th. This fatal shooting followed the infamous Brown shooting, also in Rhode Island, by only two months. “The fortunate thing is that the two incidents are not related, but it is very tragic,” Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien said.
The Aftermath
Investigators revealed that tension grew between the family amidst the 2020 divorce between Rhonda and Robert. Also with this, Esposito’s mental health struggles and transition are noted throughout court documents and as a major contributory factor in family’s separation. Amanda Wallace-Hubbard, the shooter’s eldest daughter who was also Aiden and Colin’s half-sister, has acted as the family’s spokesperson of this incident. Wallace-Hubbard alleged [she] had a "vendetta" against the family(Dorgan). She told WPRI-TV, "We were targeted. This was very specific. It wasn’t random." She credits Micheal Black, often referred to as a good Samaritan, for saving her and her children’s lives by jamming his finger into the 10mm Glock which prevented more shots from being fired. Then he, and others including Robert Rattenni and Ryan Cordeiro pinned Esposito down before the final self-inflicted shot fired(Dorgan).
The Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) has suspended all hockey games for four days following the tragic event and Pawtucket School Department has set up a support “hub” and counselling for Blackstone Valley students, the school of Colin Dorgan, and Coventry/Johnston, the opposing team(“Rhode”).
Works Cited
- Dorgan, Michael. "Rhode Island Ice Rink Shooting Victims Confirmed as Shooter’s Daughter Alleges 'Vendetta' against Family." Fox News, 18 Feb. 2026, www.foxnews.com/us/rhode-island-ice-rink-shooting-victims-confirmed-shooters-daughter-alleges-vendetta-against-family. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
- Kruesi, Kimberlee. "Shooting at a Rhode Island Hockey Rink Leaves 3 Dead, Including Shooter." AP News, 16 Feb. 2026, apnews.com/article/pawtucket-hockey-rink-shooting-rhode-island-c8ac3e8067ce2f2ce07e4d98009ecdaa. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
- Melimopoulos, Elizabeth. "Rhode Island Shooting: 2 Killed, 3 Critically Injured at Pawtucket Ice Rink." Al Jazeera, 17 Feb. 2026, www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/17/rhode-island-shooting-2-killed-3-critically-injured-at-pawtucket-ice-rink. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
- PBS News. "Deadly Shooting at Rhode Island Youth Hockey Game Was 'Targeted Event,' Authorities Say." PBS News, 17 Feb. 2026, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/deadly-shooting-at-rhode-island-youth-hockey-game-was-targeted-event-authorities-say. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
- "Rhode Island Interscholastic League." RIIL, 2025, www.riil.org/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.