A transgender Rhode Island shooter who murdered his ex-wife and son at a family hockey game shares a disturbing family legacy with his imprisoned son, who is currently serving federal time for setting fire to a predominantly Black church in a racially motivated hate crime.
Story Highlights
- Robert Dorgan killed his ex-wife and son at a Pawtucket ice rink on February 16, 2026, before taking his own life
- Dorgan’s son Kevin Colantonio is serving over six years in federal prison for arson at Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries in 2024
- Court documents reveal Colantonio’s notebook contained racist directives to “hunt them down, gun them down, everyone that isn’t white”
- Dorgan’s divorce records cited gender reassignment surgery and narcissistic personality disorder traits as initial grounds for separation
- Governor Dan McKee faced criticism for framing the tragedy as generic “gun violence” while ignoring mental health factors
Father and Son’s Disturbing Criminal Pattern
Robert Dorgan, 56, opened fire at Dennis Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, during a high school hockey game, killing his ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan and their 23-year-old son Aidan before turning the gun on himself. The shooting also left Rhonda’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, along with family friend Thomas Geruso, in critical condition. North Providence Police Chief Alfredo Ruggiero confirmed that Dorgan’s son from a previous relationship, Kevin Colantonio, 37, is currently incarcerated in a Texas federal prison for torching a Black church two years earlier.
Church Arson Reveals Racist Ideology
Colantonio pleaded guilty to setting fires at Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries in North Providence in February 2024, receiving a sentence exceeding six years with a scheduled release in December 2029. Federal investigators discovered a notebook containing explicitly racist directives including instructions to “burn churches to the ground” and target non-white individuals. Those familiar with the case indicated Colantonio had been influenced by his father’s pro-white ideology, though authorities remain unclear about recent contact between father and son. Police confirmed the two shared an address history over twenty years ago.
Mental Health and Family Breakdown
Dorgan underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2017, which contributed to Rhonda filing for divorce in 2020, initially citing the surgery along with narcissistic and personality disorder traits before amending the filing to irreconcilable differences. Court documents revealed Dorgan posted extensively on social media about his transgender identity while simultaneously sharing racist content and describing himself as being politically “to the right of Hitler.” One of Dorgan’s daughters confirmed her father suffered from significant mental health issues, stating he was “very sick.” The day before the shooting, Dorgan responded to anti-trans posts, suggesting criticism could make him go “BERSERK.”
Political Response Draws Criticism
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee characterized the tragedy as simply “gun violence,” prompting backlash from critics who argue he ignored obvious mental health and ideological factors. Reverend Jordan Wells criticized McKee for failing to address the root causes including mental illness that contributed to the shooting. This incident adds to growing concerns about mass violence involving individuals with documented mental health struggles, yet political leaders continue framing such tragedies through a narrow gun-control lens. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves stated there had been no prior indication of violence at the family-frequented venue, underscoring failures in identifying and addressing dangerous mental health deterioration.
The investigation into Dorgan’s specific motive continues, though the family history of racism, mental illness, and ideological extremism paints a troubling picture. This tragedy demonstrates how untreated mental health issues combined with hateful ideologies can devastate families and communities. The Dorgan family’s pattern of violence—from church arson to mass murder—represents a failure of systems designed to intervene before ideology transforms into deadly action, yet politicians remain focused on restricting constitutional rights rather than addressing the actual underlying problems threatening American families and communities.
Sources:
Pawtucket killer son in prison shiloh gospel temple ministries fire – TurnTo10
Back-to-back shootings prompt reflection on history of trans mass killers – KOMO News
