Suspect in Rhode Island ice rink shooting shared antisemitic, racist posts

Robert Dorgan, 56, the suspect in a fatal shooting at a Rhode Island high school hockey game on Monday, had shared “thousands” of antisemitic and racist posts online, according to the New York Post.

Dorgan, who identified as “Roberta Esposito,” allegedly opened fire during a game at an ice rink in Pawtucket, killing two people and wounding three others before taking his own life, authorities said.

The Post reported that Dorgan’s social media account included “worrying remarks” against anti-trans hate as well as extremist and racially offensive content, including support for Nazi ideology. One day before the shooting, he responded to a video praising Adolf Hitler using an Asian slur.

Dorgan’s account also featured references to “white power” and “white pride worldwide,” as well as a reposted video of individuals giving a Nazi-style salute.

In a separate post the night before the attack, Dorgan appeared to threaten violence in response to another user who called Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), a transgender member of Congress, a man. “Keep bashing us. But do not wonder why we go berserk,” Dorgan wrote.

Police said Dorgan fatally shot two members of his family, including one of his sons and the child’s mother. The three others remain hospitalized in critical condition.

While authorities have not publicly identified a motive, the shooting occurred “after years of heated court disputes over his trans identity,” according to the Post.

©️JNS