Lead
On Monday afternoon, Feb. 16, 2026, a shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, left two people dead and three others in critical condition, police said. Authorities said the suspected shooter later died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Pawtucket Police described the attack as targeted and possibly linked to a family dispute; federal agents from the FBI and ATF joined the local response. The game was a multi-school senior night event attended by families and fans when the violence occurred.
Key Takeaways
- Two adult victims were killed at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena on Feb. 16, 2026; three additional people were critically injured, according to Pawtucket Police.
- The suspected shooter, identified by police as Robert Dorgan (born 1969), was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.
- Police described the incident as a targeted event that investigators say “may be a family dispute.”
- The shooting occurred during a senior night boys’ hockey event involving cooperative teams with players from Coventry, East Providence, Saint Raphael Academy and others.
- A Good Samaritan intervened at the scene, which police credited with helping to end the incident more quickly.
- Federal agents from the FBI and ATF responded to assist state and local authorities; officials said there was no ongoing threat to public safety after their initial assessment.
- Local leaders, including the governor and the Pawtucket mayor, announced expanded mental-health support and family services for students and families affected.
Background
The shooting took place at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, a community rink that hosts regional high school hockey and youth events. Monday’s game was billed as a senior night, a common end-of-season recognition that drew players and relatives from multiple school districts and private schools in the region. Cooperative teams bring students from several municipalities together for a single roster, increasing the number of families and spectators present.
Pawtucket is located about 45 miles south of Boston and has a network of municipal and school safety partners that typically coordinate at large youth-sport events. In this case, local officers secured the scene and requested federal assistance for investigative and forensic support. Local officials emphasized rapid reunification and accounting for students, with Coventry Public Schools and Providence Country Day confirming their students were safe and accounted for.
Main Event
According to law enforcement, the suspect attended the game to watch a family member and opened fire in the arena during the senior night event. Multiple people were struck; police later confirmed two adults died and three others were critically injured. Officers and first responders moved quickly to render aid and evacuate spectators from the stands and concourses.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves identified the suspect as Robert Dorgan and said he had also used the names Roberta and Esposito. At a news briefing, the chief said the suspect’s death appears to be self-inflicted and investigators were treating the shooting as targeted rather than random. A bystander who stepped in during the attack was credited by police with helping to halt further violence.
Federal teams from the FBI Boston field office and ATF Boston were deployed to assist with evidence collection and the ongoing criminal investigation. Officials urged the public to avoid the immediate area while first responders and investigators worked and later said there was no continuing threat to public safety following the initial response.
Analysis & Implications
The attack at a high school sporting event underscores the vulnerability of community venues where families gather for routine, celebratory activities. Senior night events typically bring larger crowds and volunteers, complicating emergency response and reunification when a critical incident occurs. The presence of players from multiple towns amplified the scale of the response needed to account for students and to coordinate with different school districts.
Investigators described this as a potentially family-related targeted incident; if confirmed, motives rooted in personal disputes may present different investigative pathways than ideologically or indiscriminate mass-shooting cases. Authorities will likely prioritize interviews with family members, social contacts and digital records while conducting forensic ballistics and scene reconstruction with federal partners.
The city and state response is expected to include both criminal casework and community support measures. Rhode Island officials announced increased access to mental-health resources for students and families; schools typically must balance short-term grief counseling with longer-term trauma-informed supports. In the policy arena, such incidents often reignite debates over access to firearms, background checks, and venue security, though those discussions play out on legislative timetables that differ from immediate investigative priorities.
Comparison & Data
| Category | Count / Details |
|---|---|
| Fatalities | 2 victims (adults) |
| Critically injured | 3 people |
| Suspect | 1 (identified as Robert Dorgan, born 1969; deceased) |
| Event | High school boys’ senior night hockey game; multiple cooperative teams |
The table above summarizes verified counts released by Pawtucket Police and local officials. Investigators continue to refine timelines and ballistic analysis; those technical findings will inform charges or determinations about motive once evidence review is complete.
Reactions & Quotes
Officials and local leaders responded quickly with messages of condolence and a focus on supporting affected families and students. Law enforcement emphasized the coordinated local and federal investigative effort, while civic leaders pledged to expand mental-health resources for the community.
“Our investigators are piecing together the facts, and right now we are treating this as a targeted incident that may involve a family dispute,”
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves (official statement)
Chief Goncalves provided the shooter’s identity and described the scene and response, including the role of a community member who intervened. Her remarks framed the immediate investigative priorities: victim identification, interviewing witnesses, and establishing motive.
“Our state is grieving; we are working to provide additional mental-health resources to students and families,”
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (state official)
The governor announced state-level assistance and encouraged residents to use crisis lines and counseling services. Local education officials and school leaders coordinated reunification and notifications to families while confirming student safety when possible.
Unconfirmed
- The motive beyond the police description of a possible family dispute has not been publicly confirmed; investigators have not released a final determination.
- Details about the exact relationship between the suspect and the victims remain under investigation and have not been publicly verified.
- Information about where any recovered firearm was purchased, or whether the suspect had a criminal history or reported mental-health treatment, has not been released or confirmed.
Bottom Line
The Feb. 16 shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena left two people dead and three critically injured and has prompted a multijurisdictional criminal inquiry led by Pawtucket Police with FBI and ATF support. Officials describe the event as targeted and possibly stemming from a family dispute, but investigative steps are ongoing and many details remain unconfirmed.
Beyond the immediate criminal investigation, the episode highlights the challenge of protecting community sporting events and the need for rapid mental-health and reunification supports following traumatic incidents. Families, schools and local leaders will likely focus on healing and prevention measures in the weeks ahead as official findings are released.