Rhode Island ice rink shooting suspect’s gender identity was source of past family conflict: docs

A suspect accused of shooting and killing two people at a Rhode Island ice rink on Monday before killing himself was identified as transgender and had a history of past family conflict over his gender identity, a local news outlet reported, citing court documents.

Court records show Robert Dorgan had been involved in multiple disputes with relatives in recent years, including allegations that tensions escalated after he underwent gender reassignment surgery, according to WPRI.

Dorgan, 56, is accused of opening fire inside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket during a hockey game between Coventry and Blackstone Valley Schools in what police described as a “family dispute,” Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said at a press conference Monday. 

Authorities said two victims were killed and the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three others were injured and remain hospitalized.

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A federal law enforcement source told Fox News the gunman killed his wife and shot three of his children before turning the gun on himself in what the source described as a domestic violence incident.

In 2020, Dorgan reported to North Providence police that he had undergone gender-reassignment surgery and said his father-in-law wanted him out of the family home because of it. Police identified the suspect by the birth name Robert Dorgan and said he also went by “Roberta.”

According to court documents cited by WPRI, Dorgan alleged his father-in-law used a derogatory term for transgender individuals and threatened retaliation if he did not move out. The father-in-law was charged at the time, though prosecutors later dismissed the case.

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Court filings also show Dorgan’s then-wife initially cited “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits” in divorce paperwork before the grounds were amended to “irreconcilable differences.” The divorce was finalized in 2021. Divorce records list Dorgan as living in Jacksonville, Florida, at the time and working as a truck driver.

Also in 2020, Dorgan accused his mother of assaulting him and acting in a “violent, threatening or tumultuous manner,” according to police records cited by WPRI. His mother was charged with simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct, though the case was later dismissed, court records show.

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The dispute was also referenced in Dorgan’s conflict with his father-in-law. According to court documents, Dorgan told police his father-in-law “told me that if I did not drop the assault charges against my mother that further retaliation could be expected and that was another reason to have me killed.

Police have not said whether those past disputes were connected to Monday’s violence, and investigators have not publicly identified a motive. Goncalves said the shooting “looked like it was a family dispute” and that detectives are still working to establish a timeline.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano, Alexis McAdams and Bonny Chu contributed to this report.