The sharp crack echoed through the Rhode Island hockey rink, initially dismissed as a celebratory pop. Michael Black, watching a friend’s son play, instinctively glanced at his wife, a flicker of unease crossing his mind. But the second sound shattered any sense of normalcy, instantly revealing the terrifying truth: gunfire.
His first thought wasn’t of bravery, but of protection. “I told my wife to run,” Black recalled, the urgency still palpable in his voice. Before she could react, he surged forward, driven by a primal need to stop the escalating horror. He moved towards the source of the chaos, focusing solely on disarming the shooter.
He lunged, grasping for the weapon, his hand colliding with the gun’s chamber. A searing pain shot through his left hand as it became wedged within the mechanism, jamming the firearm and halting further shots. The struggle was immediate and brutal, a desperate fight unfolding amidst the screams and panic.
Other bystanders joined the fray, tackling the shooter as he fell, landing directly towards Black. Loaded magazines spilled onto the ice, a chilling testament to the potential for further devastation. Then, with terrifying swiftness, the suspect produced a second gun, turning it towards himself.
Black, despite his own injuries – a burned face from a hot shell casing and a mangled hand – managed to secure one of the weapons and hand it over to arriving police. He spoke with quiet gratitude for the swift response of emergency crews and the dedicated care of the hospital staff.
Authorities identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, 56, also known as Roberta Esposito. The tragedy unfolded as a horrific act of domestic violence, claiming the lives of Dorgan’s ex-wife, Rhonda, and their son, Aidan. Both succumbed to their injuries after being rushed to the hospital.
Three others – Rhonda’s parents, Linda and Gerald Dorgan, and a family friend, Thomas Geruso – remained hospitalized in critical condition, their lives hanging in the balance. The scene was one of unimaginable grief and trauma, a community shattered by senseless violence.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves hailed Black as a “good Samaritan,” acknowledging that his courageous intervention likely prevented an even greater catastrophe. His actions, she stated, brought a swift end to the unfolding tragedy.
But Black vehemently rejected the label of “hero.” For him, true heroism resided in the lives of those he admired, not in his own desperate act of selflessness. He simply did what he felt he had to do, driven by instinct and a profound desire to protect others.
