Pawtucket ice rink shooting suspect identified

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Three people including the suspected gunman died after a parent allegedly opened fire on family members during a high school hockey game Monday afternoon at a Pawtucket ice rink.

The suspected shooter is believed to go by Roberta Esposito, whose legal name is Robert K. Dorgan, 56 of North Providence. Esposito was the parent of a hockey player senior who was playing in the game at the time of the shooting.

The suspect allegedly shot in the rink stands before dying from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the investigation, the student’s mother the suspect’s ex-wife was killed at the scene, and an adult family member later died at the hospital. Three additional victims were transported to Rhode Island Hospital with critical injuries.

Witnesses at the arena told What’s Going On in Rhode Island that the shooter entered the rink carrying two pink-colored firearms and a holster, and that some people initially believed the weapons were not real. Authorities have not publicly confirmed those details.

The shooting occurred around 2:30 p.m. during a Senior Night high school matchup between the Coventry–Johnston co-op team and the Blackstone Valley (BVS) co-op team, which includes players from St. Raphael Academy, Providence Country Day School, North Providence, and North Smithfield. The student whose family was involved was on the ice at the time and was not physically injured.

Authorities said the violence stemmed from a family-related dispute and described the incident as isolated. Officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.