A youth hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket turned tragic on February 16, 2026, when gunfire erupted in the packed stands. What began as a routine high school matchup quickly became a devastating scene witnessed by children, parents, and nearly 100 stunned spectators later interviewed by police. Authorities said 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who also used the name Roberta Esposito, opened fire in what investigators described as a targeted family dispute before dying from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. His ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, was pronounced dead at the arena, and their adult son, Aidan Dorgan, later died at a hospital. Three others — Rhonda’s parents and a family friend — were critically injured.

As details emerged, court records pointed to long-standing marital tensions preceding the couple’s 2020 divorce after nearly three decades of marriage. But for surviving relatives, the tragedy is deeply personal. Amanda Wallace-Hubbard, Dorgan’s daughter from another relationship, said she and her young sons were sitting in the stands when the shooting began and credited a bystander with preventing further harm. Another son, 17-year-old Colin Dorgan, was playing in the game at the time, while his sister Ava now faces an uncertain future without both parents and their brother. A fundraiser launched to support the siblings has drawn widespread community backing, reflecting both heartbreak and solidarity in the wake of a targeted act that forever changed one family’s life.