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You know how it goes. You pack up the hockey bag. You grab a coffee. You head to the rink. It is supposed to be a good day. It is supposed to be about the kids. But yesterday in Pawtucket, everything changed in a split second. A Rhode Island shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena turned a celebration into a tragedy that no one saw coming.
Panic at the Puck Drop
It was Monday afternoon, February 16, 2026. The stands were packed for a high school boys' hockey game. It was Senior Night. That is a big deal for these kids. Parents were there with cameras. Grandparents were cheering. The Coventry and Blackstone Valley teams were facing off. The vibe was happy. It was loud.
Then the noise changed.
Around 2:30 PM, people heard pops. At a hockey rink, you hear loud noises all the time. Pucks hit the glass. Skates bang against the boards. So at first, nobody moved. People thought it was just the game. One kid said he thought it was balloons popping for the seniors.
But it wasn't balloons. It was gunfire.
A person in the stands stood up and started shooting. Panic took over instantly. You can imagine the fear. Parents grabbed their kids. People dove under the bleachers. The players on the ice did not know what to do at first. Then they skated as fast as they could to the exits. Some of them ran into the locker rooms and barricaded the doors. They used hockey sticks and bags to block the way. They hid in the dark and waited. They were terrified.
The Shooter and the Motive
Police identified the shooter as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan. Authorities say Dorgan also went by the name Roberta Esposito. This wasn't a random attack. It wasn't some stranger coming in off the street to hurt random people. Police say this was personal. It was a family dispute that exploded in the worst way possible.
Robert Dorgan came to the rink targeting specific people. It appears he went after his own family. Reports state he shot family members right there in the stands. It is sick to think about. You go to watch a game and end up running for your life because of a domestic fight.
The shooter didn't make it out alive. Police found Dorgan dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. But the damage was already done. Two other people lost their lives. Three more were rushed to the hospital in critical condition. It is a mess.
A Hero Steps Up
In the middle of all this horror, something amazing happened. A Good Samaritan jumped in. Witnesses say a parent nearby saw what was happening and didn't just run away. This person tried to stop the shooter. They tried to subdue Dorgan.
Police Chief Tina Goncalves said this brave act likely saved lives. If that person hadn't stepped up, it could have been so much worse. We don't know this hero's name yet. But they deserve a medal. They deserve everything. It takes real guts to run toward a gun when everyone else is running away.
Confusion and Chaos
The video footage from the game is scary to watch. You see the camera shake. You hear the pops. Then you hear the screaming. The livestream of the game captured the moment the normal world broke apart.
One mom said she ran out of the rink but then ran back in. She couldn't find her son. She was frantic. She saw people doing CPR in the stands. It is the kind of image you never get out of your head.
The police arrived fast. They locked down the area. They had helicopters flying over Pawtucket. Roads were blocked off. Families hugged each other outside the arena. You could see the hockey players still in their uniforms. They were crying. They were hugging their parents. They looked like little kids again.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
This Pawtucket shooting hits hard because it happened in a place that is supposed to be safe. A hockey rink is a community spot. It is where you drink bad coffee and freeze your toes off watching your kid play. It is not a place for guns.
People in Rhode Island are tired. We just had another shooting at Brown University not long ago. Now this. It feels like nowhere is safe anymore.
The fact that this was a domestic issue spills over into public space is scary. It shows that family violence doesn't always stay behind closed doors. It can burst out anywhere. It can hurt innocent bystanders. It can traumatize a whole town.
The Aftermath
Now the community has to pick up the pieces. The Dennis M. Lynch Arena is a crime scene. The kids who were barricaded in that locker room will never forget that fear. The families who lost loved ones are broken.
Governor Dan McKee spoke out and said he is heartbroken. He promised more mental health resources. But words feel empty right now. People want to know how to stop this. They want to know why a person would bring a gun to a kid's game.
We need to talk about this. We can't just scroll past this news and forget it tomorrow. We need to look at our neighbors. We need to look at our laws. We need to figure out how to keep our kids safe when they are just trying to play a game.
What We Know About Robert Dorgan
Information is still coming out about Robert Dorgan Rhode Island resident and the shooter. Using the name Roberta Esposito, the suspect had a history that police are looking into. They are checking social media. They are talking to relatives.
It seems like there were warning signs. There almost always are. But knowing that now doesn't bring the victims back. It just makes you angry. It makes you wonder if someone could have stopped this before it got to the rink.
Community Reaction
Social media is blowing up with reactions. People are angry. They are sad. The hockey community is tight. Everyone knows everyone. When something like this happens in a Pawtucket ice rink, it ripples out. It hits families in Boston. It hits families in New York. Every hockey parent is thinking the same thing. That could have been my rink. That could have been my kid.
The schools involved, like Coventry and Blackstone Valley, are offering counseling. The kids are going to need it. Seeing violence like that changes you. It steals your innocence.
Conclusion
The Rhode Island shooting at Lynch Arena is a wake-up call. It is a tragedy that shouldn't have happened. Three people are dead. Families are destroyed. A community is in shock.
We need to support the victims. We need to honor the hero who tried to stop it. And we need to have a real conversation about violence in our safe spaces. Don't just read this and move on. Talk to your friends. Talk to your family. Hug your kids a little tighter tonight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Rhode Island shooting at the ice rink? A shooter opened fire during a high school hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket. Three people died including the shooter and three others were injured. It happened on the afternoon of February 16, 2026.
Who was the shooter in the Pawtucket ice rink shooting? Police identified the shooter as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan who also used the name Roberta Esposito. Authorities say the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.
Was the Pawtucket shooting a random attack? No it was not random. Police believe it was a targeted incident stemming from a domestic dispute. The shooter appeared to be targeting specific family members who were in the stands.
How many people were killed in the Dennis M Lynch Arena shooting? Three people were killed in total. This count includes the shooter and two victims. Three other people were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Did anyone try to stop the shooter? Yes a bystander stepped in to help. Police said a Good Samaritan intervened and tried to subdue the shooter. This brave action likely prevented further loss of life.
What schools were playing during the shooting? The game was between the Coventry/Johnston co-op team and the Blackstone Valley Co-op team. It was Senior Night for the players.
Is the Dennis M Lynch Arena currently open? No the arena is currently closed as it is an active crime scene. Police are still investigating the area and gathering evidence.
References
Providence Journal. (2026, February 16). Live coverage: Shooting at Pawtucket, RI ice rink. Retrieved from https://www.providencejournal.com/live-story/news/crime/2026/02/16/live-coverage-shooting-at-pawtucket-ri-ice-rink/88709322007/
CBS News. (2026, February 16). Hockey players barricaded themselves in locker room during shooting at Pawtucket, Rhode Island rink. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/video/hockey-players-barricaded-themselves-in-locker-room-during-shooting-at-pawtucket-rhode-island-rink/
WPRI. (2026, February 16). Multiple people shot at Pawtucket ice skating rink. Retrieved from https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/blackstone-valley/multiple-people-shot-at-pawtucket-ice-skating-rink/
Wikipedia. (2026, February 17). 2026 Pawtucket shooting. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Pawtucket_shooting
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