Robert Dorgan Opened Fire on Family at Rhode Island Hockey Game, Killing Ex-Wife and Son

Robert Dorgan, 56, opened fire on his own family members in the stands at a high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, according to a source close to the situation.

He killed his ex-wife and son and wounded three others, the source said.

His father-in-law died nine days later from injuries sustained in the shooting, per sources.

Bystanders wrestled the gun away from Dorgan before he died by suicide, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The shooting took place during a high school hockey game at a rink in Pawtucket, a city of about 75,000 people in northern Rhode Island.

Witnesses described chaos as families who had come to watch the game suddenly heard gunfire erupt from the bleachers.

Players on the ice reportedly scrambled off the rink as spectators ran for exits or dove under seats.

Dorgan's ex-wife was killed at the scene, sources say.

His son also died at the rink.

Three other family members were wounded in the attack, according to a source close to the situation.

One of those wounded — Dorgan's father-in-law — was hospitalized in critical condition.

He died nine days later, per sources.

That brought the total death toll to four, including Dorgan himself.

The shooter's motive remains unclear, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Authorities have not released a detailed timeline of events leading up to the shooting.

Domestic violence experts say shootings targeting family members in public settings often follow a pattern of escalating threats or prior incidents.

Nationally, roughly half of all mass shootings between 2014 and 2019 involved the killing of a family member or intimate partner, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

Rhode Island has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, including a requirement for a background check on all firearm sales and a ban on large-capacity magazines.

But authorities have not said how Dorgan obtained the weapon used in the attack.

The high school hockey game was part of a regular-season match-up between two local teams.

Neither the school district nor the hockey league has commented publicly on the shooting beyond confirming that it occurred at their event.

Counselors have been made available to students and families affected by the tragedy, per local reports.

The names of the victims have not been officially released, though sources have confirmed their relationship to the shooter.

Neighbors described the family as quiet and unremarkable, with no visible signs of the violence that would erupt at the rink.

One neighbor told a local news outlet that Dorgan had seemed "normal" in recent weeks.

Another said the family kept to themselves.

Domestic violence advocates say such accounts are common — abusers often hide their behavior in public.

Red flags can include threats of violence, controlling behavior, a history of restraining orders, or prior arrests for assault.

But without a documented history, friends and family may not recognize the risk until it is too late.

The shooting has reignited debate in Rhode Island about how to prevent domestic violence from escalating into mass casualties.

State lawmakers have proposed expanding the use of extreme risk protection orders — also known as red flag laws — which allow courts to temporarily seize firearms from someone deemed a danger.

Rhode Island already has such a law on the books, but advocates say it is underused.

Nationally, red flag laws have been credited with preventing dozens of potential shootings, though critics argue they can be abused or violate due process.

The Pawtucket shooting is the deadliest in Rhode Island since 2013, when a man killed four people in a murder-suicide in the town of Coventry.

That shooting also involved family members.

Mass shootings in New England are relatively rare compared with other parts of the country, but they have increased in frequency over the past decade.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, the United States has averaged more than 600 mass shootings per year since 2020.

A mass shooting is defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.

The Pawtucket shooting meets that threshold.

Authorities have not said whether Dorgan had a criminal record or a history of mental health treatment.