Court documents reveal that the father-in-law of Rhode Island gunman Robert Dorgan once allegedly threatened to have him killed after he underwent gender reassignment surgery.
56-year-old Dorgan, who went by the name ‘Roberta Esposito’, opened fire at a youth hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket on Monday, killing at least two people before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said the shooting appeared to be targeted at family members.
In early 2020, Dorgan told officers he had recently undergone gender reassignment surgery. According to court documents reviewed by WPRI, he claimed his father-in-law did not take the gender transition decision well and ordered him out of the family home.
Dorgan alleged his father-in-law threatened to “have him murdered by an Asian street gang if he did not move out of the residence”.
He also told police he was informed: “There’s no goddam [sic] way a tranny is going to stay in my house.”
Court records show the father-in-law was “charged with intimidation of witnesses and victims of crimes and obstruction of the judicial system,” but prosecutors later dismissed the charges.
The documents also reveal ongoing tensions within the family. Dorgan made several complaints to police, accusing relatives of assault, intimidation and threats. His mother was charged with simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct after he accused her of acting in a “violent, threatening or tumultuous manner”. That case was later dismissed.
The dispute involving his mother reportedly further strained relations.
Dorgan told police he was warned 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. ”
At the same time, his marriage was breaking down. In 2020, his then-wife Rhonda filed for divorce, initially citing “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits” as grounds. The wording was later replaced with “irreconcilable differences which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage.”
The divorce was finalised in June 2021. By then, records show Dorgan was working as a truck driver and living in Jacksonville, Florida.
Footage from a livestream shows players quickly skating off the ice as shots rang out on Monday. There was panic in the stands as spectators rushed for the exits.
