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On February 16, 2026, a brutal shooting shattered a youth hockey game at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, leaving multiple families torn apart and a community in mourning. Police say three people died, including the shooter, and three others were critically injured in what officials describe as a targeted family dispute. Authorities identified the suspect as 56‑year‑old Robert K. Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, and said the shooter died of an apparent self‑inflicted gunshot wound.
Witnesses watched in horror as a routine school event became a scene of carnage captured partly on livestream, and quick action by bystanders helped stop the attack. Players and parents scrambled for safety, and first responders treated victims while investigators combed through video and interviewed scores of attendees. Officials have said the victims included the shooter’s former wife and adult children, underscoring that this was tragically domestic in nature, not some random act of public violence.
Americans deserve straight answers, but once again the mainstream press showed a pattern of protecting narratives instead of reporting plainly. Outlets like CNN did publish the suspect’s legal name and aliases, but critics point out that the details about the shooter’s chosen name and background were often buried or downplayed in initial coverage, prompting justified skepticism about media incentives and double standards. That inconsistent approach to basic facts only deepens public distrust at a time when families and communities want clarity, not spin.
Court records now being recirculated show this violence grew out of years of family conflict tied to a gender transition and an acrimonious divorce, with filings and police reports dating back to 2020. Those records describe bitter disputes, criminal complaints, and threats that should have set off warning flags for agencies and for people involved in family courts and community safety systems. This is not about attacking any group — it is about recognizing the warning signs of a domestic situation that metastasized into public tragedy.
Investigators are also reviewing the shooter’s online footprint and social media activity, which reporters say included troubling rhetoric and associations that merit scrutiny as part of the broader picture of motive and mental health. These elements matter because they help explain how an individual moves from private grievance to public violence, and they deserve responsible reporting rather than reflexive censorship or moralizing. The victims and their families deserve the full truth so communities can learn and protect their children.
Hardworking Americans are rightly furious that safe places for kids — school gyms, rinks, and community events — can become hunting grounds for private vendettas. Conservatives should insist on justice for the victims, better enforcement of existing laws where warning signs appear, and serious investment in mental‑health intervention that actually reaches troubled individuals before tragedy strikes. We must stand for victims, demand accountability, and refuse to let ideology or media convenience obscure the facts.
This is a time for sober reflection and action: mourn the innocent, support the wounded, and insist our institutions do better at preventing family violence from exploding into public slaughter. The press should stop polishing narratives and start doing the job the public pays them to do — report the truth plainly and quickly so communities can reckon with the causes and move toward solutions that protect children and restore safety.
