As new details continue to emerge about a shooting at a Rhode Island high school hockey tournament, NBC 10’s Dan Jaehnig reported, citing a law enforcement source, that the shooter may have been dressed in women’s clothing. The incident took place at the Dennis M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, a few miles outside Providence, during a youth ice hockey game.
Police have identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said at a 9:30 pm press conference, according to The Providence Journal. Photos of the alleged shooter have surfaced on social media.
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While Goncalves did not reveal how exactly the shooter was related to the victims, local reports claimed the gunman was a father who shot his wife and three kids.
“It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” Goncalves said. “We cannot release the names of the victims because obviously, we want to speak to the family, make sure the family is well aware of what happened before we release that information publicly.”
Goncalves added that police were not involved in the suspect’s death.
“It appears from a self-inflicted gun wound, but we are going to investigate that fully,” Goncalves said. “The police were not involved in that.”
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According to a witness, the father of a player disarmed the gunman. However, he allegedly had another weapon and opened fire again.
The gunman was found dead inside the Lynch Arena, alongside another victim. Another person died at the hospital, and three others are in critical condition, police said, according to the New York Post.
Photos surface on social media
Photos claiming to show Dorgan have surfaced on social media. Take a look:
HT.com has not independently verified if the photos surfacing on social media show Dorgan.