Worrying social media posts from dad who opened fire on wife and three children at kids ice hockey game
Concerning social media posts from a father who shot at their wife and children during a high school ice hockey game have been revealed.
On Monday (16 February), Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, entered Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and opened fire on their wife and three children in a targeted attack before turning the gun on themselves.
According to CNN, two people have been killed and a further three injured in the incident. Pawtucket police chief Tina Goncalves has since confirmed in a press conference that Dorgan died via a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the killings.
An unnamed woman, who identified herself as Dorgan's daughter, has since come forward telling WCVB that her father 'has mental health issues'.
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"He shot my family, and he's dead now," she said.
An investigation into the killings is now underway.
Social media posts attributed to Dorgan have since surfaced following their identification, revealing a number of racist, antisemitic and pro-Nazi views.
One post, dated to 15 February, saw Dorgan reply to a video edit praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with the following comment: "Really nice but a c***k made that song'.
Another post, dated 16 February, saw the father incorrectly refer to the President of Switzerland as Jewish.
Meanwhile, a third post saw Dorgan threaten violence after US Rep. Sarah McBride was misgendered.
Divorce documents from Dorgan's 2020 separation from his wife, Rhonda, suggested the couple had separated due to differing opinions on 'gender reassignment surgery as well as 'narcissistic + personality disorder traits', according to court documents obtained by WPRI.
The divorce, which was filed on grounds of 'irreconcilable differences', which 'caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage', was finalised in 2021.
Meanwhile, reports from 2020 suggest that Dorgan had made a report to the North Providence Police Department alleging that their father had threatened them over their gender identity.
Dorgan claimed the father-in-law had used a derogatory term for a trans person when saying that Dorgan was no longer welcome 'to stay in my house' as well as threatening to have him 'murdered by an Asian street gang if he did not move out of the residence'.
The father-in-law was charged with intimidation of witnesses and victims of crimes and obstruction of the judicial system – which prosecutors later dismissed.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Brenna Cooper