Third victim reportedly dies after Pawtucket ice rink shooting

Crime

Gerald Dorgan, 75, died after being hospitalized in critical condition following the Feb. 16 shooting, according to reports.

Police investigation at aftermath scene on February 17, 2026 of a fatal shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena inPawtucket RI during a hockey game between Coventry and Blackstone Valley Schools. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe Staff)

By Molly Farrar

February 26, 2026 | 12:03 AM

1 minute to read

One of the victims critically wounded after gunfire erupted at a high school hockey game in Pawtucket has died, according to news reports.

Police said that 75-year-old Gerald Dorgan, the shooter’s former father-in-law, has died after spending more than a week hospitalized in critical condition, The Boston Globe reported. His daughter Rhonda Dorgan died in the stands at the game at Dennis M. Lynch Arena Feb. 16, and her son Aidan Dorgan died at the hospital.

“We are heartbroken to learn that another life has been lost as a result of last Monday’s senseless shooting at Lynch Arena,” Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said in a statement, according to the Globe. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victim’s family, friends, and all those impacted by this tragic act of violence.”

Gerald Dorgan was one of the three victims critically injured in the shooting. Linda Dorgan, Rhonda Dorgan’s mother, and Thomas Geruso, a family friend, were also hospitalized.

Robert Dorgan — who also used the name Roberta and the surname Esposito — shot and killed his ex-wife and son in what officials called “a targeted family dispute.”

The shooter was subdued by three “courageous citizens” who disarmed the shooter. Robert Dorgan then pulled out a second gun and died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A family member created a GoFundMe page to raise money for nursing student Ava Dorgan and a 17-year-old high school senior after the deaths of their mother, brother, and now grandfather.

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.

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