Robert Dorgan Family Dispute: Pawtucket shooter’s father-in-law threatens to ‘murder’ him; mom charged with assault

New details about family life emerge Robert DorganThe father who shot Pawtucket, rhode island High School Hockey Championship. Dorgan’s fatal rampage at Dennis M Lynch Arena pawtucketDuring a youth hockey game a few miles outside of Providence.

According to authorities, Dogan killed two people and wounded three others before allegedly shooting himself in the head during a suspected “domestic dispute.” Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said at a news conference Monday evening that the 56-year-old man went by the alias Roberta Esposito, the New York Post reported.

According to court documents, Dogan told police that his father-in-law threatened “that he would be murdered by an Asian street gang if he did not move out of the residence.” Dogan claimed he had lived in the house for seven years.

Learn more | Photos of Robert Dorgan surface, reports say Pawtucket shooter was wearing ‘women’s clothing’

He accused his father-in-law of using derogatory terms for transgender people, saying such people “wouldn’t stay in my house.”

The father-in-law was subsequently charged with intimidating witnesses and crime victims and obstructing the justice system. However, prosecutors later dismissed the charges.

Dorgan’s then-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, filed for divorce around the same time. The divorce was finalized in June 2021, according to court records. Divorce documents show Dogan was living in Jacksonville, Florida and working as a truck driver.

Police records show that back in 2020, Dogan accused his mother of assaulting him and acting in a “violent, threatening or disruptive manner.” The mother was later charged with simple assault, battery and disorderly conduct.

Learn more | Robert Dorgan: 5 things to know about Pawtucket mass shooting that left 2 dead and 3 injured

Dogan even told police that his father-in-law “told me that if I did not drop the assault charges against my mother, there would be further retaliation, which was another reason to kill me.”

The case against his mother was later dismissed, according to court records.

The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence said in a statement on Monday, February 16, that the situation is “extremely painful.” “While details are still emerging, we know violence in families and intimate relationships can have devastating and far-reaching effects,” the organization said. “Domestic violence does not happen behind closed doors. It affects children, extended family members and entire communities.”

Dogan has been identified as the father of a North Providence High School senior. The student was participating in a hockey tournament, local television station WPRI reported.

During the game, Dogan was sitting near the back of the home team’s side of the stands and shot four family members and a family friend before walking to the front. Multiple sources told WPRI that the deceased included the mother and siblings of his children. The mother died inside Lynch Arena, while the siblings died in hospital. Three victims remain in critical condition.

Gonsalves said Dogan appeared to have died from a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” adding that they were still “fully investigating this.”