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Robert Dorgan’s family opened up about their “profound pain and loss” after the transgender father opened fire at a Rhode Island high school hockey tournament, killing his adult son and ex-wife.
“We are all deeply and profoundly affected by the recent events that took place at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena,” the family said in a statement through their attorney Joseph Signore, NBC Boston reported.
“ We are reminded that behind every headline is a family experiencing profound pain and loss. We care greatly for all families impacted by this recent tragedy and our thoughts are with them,” the Dorgans continued.
“While there are many questions being asked, please know we are focused on all of those who have been injured and whose lives have been forever changed.”
Robert Dorgan, who also went by Roberta Esposito and identified as a woman, was targeting his family in the horrific massacre at an ice hockey rink in Pawtucket, where his standout defenseman son was playing in a high school tournament.
Armed with a Glock 10mm and SIG Sauer P226, Dorgan, 56, gunned down his 23-year-old son, Aidan, and his ex-wife, 52-year-old Rhonda Dorgan, in the stands.
Harrowing footage captured the moment Dorgan began shooting, sending families who had come to celebrate senior night running for their lives.
He also shot and wounded Rhonda’s parents, Linda Dorgan and Gerald Dorgan, and Thomas Geruso, a family friend, who all remain at Rhode Island hospital in critical condition.
“I just want to make sure people understand this was one person’s vendetta against their family,” Amanda Wallace-Hubbard, Dorgan’s daughter from another relationship, told WPRI Tuesday. “We were targeted. This was very specific. It wasn’t random.”
The carnage ended before it could get any worse, thanks to a good Samaritan who stopped Dorgan in his tracks.
The unwell dad then turned the gun on himself.
“Until that good Samaritan incapacitated him, I really feared that my sons were next,” she said. “I can’t thank him enough. I’m certain my sons and I are alive because of him.”
Police described the incident as a tragic “family dispute.”
Dorgan reportedly underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2020, according to court filings, and his trans identity and unhinged personality were a source of multiple family court battles leading up to the shooting.
Dorgan’s ex-wife later amended the reasoning for their split, which was finalized in 2021, blaming it on “irreconcilable differences which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage.”
English (US)