Gun Jam Hero Stops Arena Carnage

At a Rhode Island youth hockey game, ordinary Americans stopped a killer before the body count climbed—without waiting for politicians, policies, or police to save the day.

Quick Take

A targeted shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket left two family members dead and three others critically injured.
Bystander Michael Black reportedly jammed the shooter’s handgun with his hand, buying seconds for others to subdue the attacker.
Two other bystanders used a chokehold to restrain the shooter, who then died by a self-inflicted gunshot using a second firearm.
Retired firefighters/EMTs and a nurse provided immediate first aid before police arrived within minutes.
Police described the incident as targeted, based on more than 100 witness interviews, limiting what can responsibly be concluded about broader motives.

A Targeted Attack Shatters a Family Event

Pawtucket, Rhode Island, turned into a crime scene during a youth hockey game at Dennis M. Lynch Arena when Robert Dorgan opened fire in a crowded venue filled with parents and kids. Authorities and reporting identified the dead as Dorgan’s ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, and their adult son, Aidan Dorgan. Three more victims—Rhonda’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and a family friend, Thomas Geruso—were reported in critical condition.

Witness accounts described the first shots as so unexpected that some people initially mistook them for balloons. That confusion is common in public violence incidents, and it explains why early seconds matter. Investigators later characterized the shooting as a targeted event rather than random violence. That distinction doesn’t reduce the horror for the families in the stands, but it does shape what evidence supports about intent while the investigation continues.

Seconds That Mattered: Citizens Intervened Before Police Arrival

Reporting described a split-second decision by bystander Michael Black, a retired printer, who first told his wife to run and then rushed the shooter. Black reportedly inserted his left hand into the gun’s chamber area, jamming the handgun and disrupting the shooter’s ability to keep firing. The act cost him a serious hand injury, but it also created an opening—proof that decisive resistance can change outcomes.

Two other bystanders, Robert Rattenni and Ryan Cordeiro, reportedly piled on and applied a chokehold to subdue the shooter while Black tried to hold him down. The shooter, described as physically imposing, was still able to produce a second firearm. While locked in a struggle, he reportedly shot himself and died at the scene. Police later credited the bystanders with bringing the attack to a swift end.

Immediate Medical Aid Shows Why Prepared People Save Lives

After the gunfire stopped, the crisis shifted to survival. Retired firefighters/EMTs Chris Librizzi and Glenn Narodowy, along with nurse Maryann Rattenni, reportedly provided immediate first aid to victims suffering heavy bleeding. Their involvement underscores a point often missed in political debates: emergency readiness is not theoretical. Whether it’s training, tourniquets, or simply having medically experienced people nearby, practical skills in ordinary communities reduce loss of life.

What Investigators Say—and What the Evidence Doesn’t Yet Prove

Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said the bystanders prevented further injury, and police indicated they interviewed more than 100 witnesses while piecing together the timeline. Reporting also noted background details from court records and social media, including references to gender identity and political views. Police stated those details were irrelevant to their investigative focus, and available public reporting has not established a broader ideological motive beyond a personal, targeted dispute.

A Hard Reminder About Security, Responsibility, and Community Resolve

The Pawtucket attack lands in a region still processing another major shooting—an earlier incident near Brown University that left multiple people dead and injured. The common thread is not politics; it is the reality that violence can appear in places built for families. The strongest verified lesson here is straightforward: communities with citizens willing to act, and people capable of rendering aid, can reduce casualties when law enforcement is still en route.

When Rhode Island shooter started firing, bystanders jumped into action to end the carnagehttps://t.co/fKF3JuOYFg pic.twitter.com/KZq8pBHd7M

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 19, 2026

Black later spoke from a college visit in South Carolina, signaling he refused to let the attack define his family’s future, even as he recovered from serious injury. That posture—move forward, protect your loved ones, and don’t surrender normal American life to fear—is a message many frustrated voters recognize after years of political grandstanding. The facts in Pawtucket point to courage and competence on the ground, not slogans.