Rhode Island
Trans Rhode Island gunman had permit to carry gun — and used a high-powered pistol in hockey rink massacre
Trans killer Robert Dorgan had a permit to carry a firearm, and used a high-powered handgun to murder his son and ex-wife at a high school hockey game in Rhode Island on Monday.
The 56-year-old dad of six, who also went by Roberta, obtained a concealed carry permit in Florida, but it did not cover Rhode Island, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said during a news conference this week.
Dorgan used a Glock 29 10mm purchased in Jacksonville in September 2021 and a .357 Sig-caliber Sig Sauer P226 bought in July 2019 in West Warwick, R.I., to slaughter ex-wife Rhonda Dorgan, 52, and their son, Aidan, 23, at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket at around 2:30 p.m. on Monday.
The 10mm round — made mainstream in the show “Miami Vice” — is nearly twice as powerful as the 9mm carried by many police departments and the the US military.
It is considered big enough for hunters to use on bears or deer.
The trans gunman also critically wounded Rhonda’s parents, Gerald and Linda Dorgan, as well as family friend Thomas Geruso, before taking his own life.
State law “requires a Rhode Island state permit to carry, with one exception,” attorney general’s office spokesman Tim Rondeau said when asked whether Dorgan’s Florida permit would have been valid in Rhode Island, the Providence Journal reported.
“That exception is if the person carrying or transporting the firearm is merely passing through the state on the way to somewhere else,” Rhondeau said.
“An out of state permit is not valid in Rhode Island,” Glenn Valentine, vice president of the Rhode Island Firearms Owners League, told the Providence Journal.
Dorgan was living in Jacksonville several years ago, but Florida removed its permitting requirement in July 2023, although permits issued prior to that “were valid for seven years,” Valentine added.
“Most folks outside of Rhode Island don’t pursue a permit [here] given that the process is beyond what [most of] the rest of the country requires,” he said.
Dorgan would have had to apply for a license in his town of residence or with the attorney general’s office, Rondeau said.
It isn’t clear if he ever did so.
The minority Republicans in Rhode Island have introduced bills that would grant concealed-carry privileges to gun owners from other states that provide reciprocal privileges to gun owners in the state – subject to action by the attorney general.
Follow The Post’s latest coverage on the Rhode Island high school hockey shooting
Two separate bills were introduced in the state’s Senate and House, sponsored by Republicans, but neither made it out of a legislative committee last year.
A Senate version was reintroduced this year.
Authorities are still building a picture of Dorgan, who became the fourth high-profile transgender mass shooter in North America in recent years.
Earlier this month, Canadian Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, who identified as trans, murdered his mother and stepbrother before killing six others at his former school in British Columbia.
Dorgan had undergone male-to-female gender reassignment in recent years, after a troubled life that saw him booted out of the Marine Corps after less than three months in 1988.
He was charged with simple assault and battery in 1989, but the case was dismissed.
Rhonda claimed that Rhonda’s father had ordered him to leave the house after he underwent surgery in 2020, according to a police report.
But his Nazi tattoos and description of his politics as “to the right of Hitler,” on X, suggest a deeply troubled individual who spiraled in recent years.
Rhode Island
RI Lottery Powerball, Numbers Midday winning numbers for June 22, 2026
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 22, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 22 drawing
17-19-21-45-48, Powerball: 13, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from June 22 drawing
Midday: 7-0-8-0
Evening: 0-0-6-8
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from June 22 drawing
03-19-29-33-38, Extra: 18
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 22 drawing
07-08-20-24-42, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
- Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
- Winners of the Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.
When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Rhode Island
Pawtucket set to build hundreds of housing units as the next phase of the Tidewater Landing development begins – The Boston Globe
“Many people said it wouldn’t be done or couldn’t be done, and today we are here not only to say it’s getting done, but the funding is secure, and the construction of this infrastructure will begin within the next two months,” Grebien said.
Grebien anticipates the eastern side of the development will be fully built within three to four years, he said.
The work marks a step forward for the project, which had been burdened by persistent inflation in recent years. Rising costs led to a higher price tag than initially anticipated for the complex’s soccer and live entertainment stadium, the project’s first phase. The project relied on public bonds that are set to cost taxpayers more than $130 million over the next three decades.
State officials had originally said its financial support would pay for the stadium and other work around it, but with the difficult economic climate, the state later shifted nearly all of its financial backing to the stadium itself. Still, developer Fortuitous Partners has long said it will see through the rest of the public-private partnership, including hundreds of units of new housing.
“We’ve worked very hard over the last couple years to smooth over obstacles big and small to get us here,” Pawtucket City Council President Terrence Mercer said.
The next phase of the development will focus on a more than 10-acre swath of land along the eastern shore of the Seekonk River, across the water from the stadium, Grebien said. There, development firm Pennrose plans to construct more than 70 units of affordable housing, while Wood Partners plans to build 325 market-rate units, he said.
“The financial stack is there,” Grebien said. “They’re ready to move …. They needed to see the stadium first to make sure it was that successful.”
The stadium has welcomed nearly 250,000 people since it opened in spring 2025, according to Dan Kroeber, managing partner at Fortuitous Partners.
“The evolution of this city, the evolution of Tidewater Landing is really just beginning,” Kroeber said.
For now, the city will build out stormwater infrastructure for that area, as well as “new sections of the public riverwalk, landscaping, lighting, and expanded public recreation spaces,” officials said. Pawtucket will also build a pedestrian bridge to link the development across the river.
“You’ve got the Seekonk River being activated, public and private investment, bringing new pedestrian connections, open space, and critical infrastructure down here — all the ingredients that we need to create a great neighborhood in this area,” said Quinlan Locke, vice president of development at Wood Partners.
According to Grebien, additional housing on the western side of the river, in what is now an unpaved parking lot just north of the stadium, will be built in a future phase. He said about 300 additional units are anticipated on that side of the river.
“Over the next four to five years, you’ll start seeing development on this side, if not sooner, because I think the market will push it,” he said.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
Rhode Island
‘Wallace the Brave’ creator draws on R.I. roots for beloved comic strip – The Boston Globe
Years went by and Henry, now 40, and with a family of his own, returned to his comic strip with a more poignant and real understanding of family life.
Henry talked to the Globe about his philosophy for the comic, creative inspiration, the four main characters — Wallace, Spud, Amelia, and Rose — and his old school approaching to drawing.
Q. Where did your love for comics originate?
Henry: Like most cartoonists, I’ve been drawing my entire life. It was something I’ve been doing since I was a kid and it was a passion that stayed with me through elementary school, high school, and even in college, where I was writing comics for the daily campus paper at the University of Connecticut. No matter what odd job I was doing I was always finding time to do cartooning at home. Andrews McMeel Universal gave me a chance to syndicate “Wallace the Brave” nationwide and internationally.

Were you doodling and thought ‘This might be a great career?” or did this come on later in life?
It came later on. When I was in elementary school, I was copying “Garfield” comics word-for-word to show my friends or copying “Far Side,” but it was just for fun and a creative outlet. It wasn’t really until that first year in college when I realized the job does exist. Someone has to do it. I thought maybe that could be me.
Describe “Wallace the Brave” and the world of Snug Harbor?
I would describe it as the view of a small town through the eyes of kids in grade school, full of mystery, and wonder, and adventure. and friendship. I take a lot of pride in the character development, but it’s a coastal New England town, which I think is why it would be perfect for the Boston Globe, and I think a lot of people in that area will see parts of New England that they recognize, even if it’s vague.
How much did growing up in Rhode Island — the Ocean State — shape that setting?
Oh, absolutely. I’m a child of the ’80s, where things were a little more lawless and there’s a bit of that in that comic. I’m really interested in just what happens when children get bored. Their mind wanders and adventure starts. Less screen time, more nature, and with Rhode Island being the backdrop of that, there’s a lot of ocean-focused scenery, and jokes. It’s almost like Easter eggs for the New England readership. It definitely has its heart in Rhode Island and New England.

What is “Wallace the Brave’s” origin, is it based on anybody you knew?
I’ve always kind of said the two main characters are Wallace and his best friend, Spud, and they’re opposites, but they’re very good friends. They counter each other’s weirdness and they appreciate each other’s weirdness, even if it’s a different kind of weirdness. The two characters are sort of my two personalities, just separated and magnified, and that’s where you kind of get the Wallace and Spud character. Wallace is who I want to be on a daily basis — positive, uplifting, and a ride or die friend — and Spud is the understated nervous worrier, which on my worst days I can be.
Do you think these characters all balance themselves out?
Balance is tricky. It’s more of about being true to the characters and giving them depth. I try to make them more than just two-dimensional characters, like, that one’s the nerd and that one’s the sports jock, because I have two kids, and they and their friends are not one-dimensional. They have many layers, I try to incorporate that with the way they interact with each other.
Are comparisons to Calvin and Hobbes humbling?
Oh, I love it. It’s one of the best comics ever made. I’ve had, and I get a lot of, comparisons with Calvin and Hobbs, Cul de Sac, and Peanuts, all awesome comics to be compared to. I will absolutely take it as a compliment.

Did you have any missteps on the way to syndication?
I’ve had a lot of failures in the cartoon world. I mean, I’ve probably had three or four comics before “Wallace the Brave,” and they progressively got better. The one before “Wallace the Brave” was called “Ordinary Bill,” and it had a little bit of a readership, and it was sort of that web-comic model, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t a great comic, and I abandoned it once the idea for “Wallace” came to me.
Why do you think comics about kids experiencing life unplugged — collecting bugs and flying kites — connects with readers right now?
It serves the same purpose as the comics serve in the newspaper as a whole. It’s a bit of escapism from the world. I want to live more like Wallace, but I’m still in front of a computer a lot, still checking out social media, so I think it’s a bit of escapism. One thing I’ve noticed — because as my kids come into reading age and are starting to read the comic more seriously — they’re taking cues from it. They want to be like the characters in it. I’m hoping a little bit of that trickles down to the kid audience, where they take a moment more to explore the world around them.
Are you using a computer to draw or hand-drawing your comic strip?
I am a dinosaur when it comes to that because I am still working pen and paper. I will usually watercolor them, but for for print in the Boston Globe, they’ll be colored digitally, just because it reproduces better.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
The Boston Globe’s weekly Ocean State Q&A features Rhode Islanders who are starting new businesses or nonprofits, conducting groundbreaking research, or reshaping the state’s economy. Send tips and suggestions to rinews@globe.com.
Carlos Muñoz can be reached at carlos.munoz@globe.com. Follow him @ReadCarlos and on Instagram @Carlosbrknews.
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