Roberta Esposito, the 56-year-old who took the lives of two people and critically injured three others during a high school hockey tournament in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, left behind a digital trail that investigators are now scrutinizing alongside a years-long history of family legal disputes.
Esposito opened fire inside Lynch Arena around 2:30 p.m. on Monday (February 16) during a senior tournament game.
Highlights
- Roberta Esposito opened fire at Lynch Arena during a high school hockey tournament, taking the lives of two family members.
- The night before the attack, Esposito posted a warning in response to a post about Rep. Sarah McBride.
- Police say the attack stemmed from years of domestic disputes that intensified following Esposito’s 2020 gender surgery.
Authorities say the attack stemmed from what they described as a domestic dispute. Esposito fired at four family members and one family friend before taking her own life at the scene.
Esposito had posted a concerning message on X the night before, hinting at what was to come.
The transgender individual who took the lives of two people and injured three more posted a warning on social media the night before
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Trigger warning: This article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some
The night before the attack, Esposito responded to a post about openly transgender US Rep. Sarah McBride.
“Don’t be so b*tt hurt over somebody different then wonder why we trans ppl go BERSERK,” she wrote.
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An account appearing to belong to the attacker contains thousands of posts, including rants about anti-trans rhetoric, coupled with antisemitic, pro-N*zi, and racist content.
In other posts, she expressed support for the Second Amendment and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Esposito also opposed abortion.
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During a press conference Monday night, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves identified the suspect.
“We have identified the person, the suspect, by a birth name, the birth name was Robert Dorgan,” Goncalves said. “We have also learned that the person does go by the name of Roberta, also uses a last name of Esposito.”
According to court filings obtained by local station WPRI, Esposito reportedly underwent gender surgery in 2020
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Esposito’s ex-wife filed for divorce in 2020, initially citing “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits.” The filing was later amended to “irreconcilable differences which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage.”
Their divorce was finalized in 2021.
Court documents also show that in 2020, Esposito went to the North Providence Police Department, claiming her father-in-law wanted her out of the home because of the surgery.
She told officers her father-in-law used a slur and said no such individual was “going to stay in my house.”
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Esposito further alleged that her in-law threatened to have her “m**dered by an Asian street g*ng if she did not move out of the residence,” where she had lived for seven years.
Police now say Monday’s attack was the result of those domestic disputes. The fatal victims include the mother of Esposito’s hockey-playing son and the student’s sibling, multiple sources told WPRI.
A livestream intended to broadcast the high school senior tournament captured the moment gunfire erupted inside Lynch Arena
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Approximately 11 shots rang out while the game between two co-op teams was underway.
Students and spectators dove to the ground. Players on the ice rushed toward the locker room and barricaded themselves inside. Some players reportedly removed their skates mid-escape. Others vaulted over the rink barrier.
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Branden Mello, a local sports editor who was present, said Esposito had been sitting in the last row near the Blackstone Valley Schools’ bench before moving down to the front and firing at people in the “second or third row.”
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Mello said a father wrestled a firearm out of Esposito’s hands, but that she still “had a second weapon” and fired again. Police later confirmed that another attendee attempted to subdue her and that officers recovered two firearms at the scene.
Witnesses described screams echoing through the arena as adults shouted directions.
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One section near the Blackstone Valley Schools’ bench remained seated during the chaos. Another video showed fans fleeing the corner of the rink, including a cameraman who appeared to be filming the game.
Police responded within two minutes of receiving the first 911 call.
Esposito’s body was found near one of the slain victims. Three others remained in critical condition as of Monday night
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A woman seen leaving the Pawtucket police station told reporters the attacker was her father.
“He s*ot my family, and he’s d**d now,” she said. She added that “he has mental health issues” and was “very sick.”
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Students from Coventry, Johnston, North Providence, and North Smithfield high schools were present at the tournament, along with students from St. Raphael Academy and Providence Country Day School.
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Administrators from those schools later confirmed their students were safe and accounted for.
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said authorities are working alongside the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office “to ensure the facts are fully established” before releasing additional information.
“Pawtucket is a strong and resilient community, but tonight we are a city in mourning. We will stand together to support all those affected in the difficult days ahead, and we will keep the public updated as confirmed facts become available,” Grebien said.
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