Posted on 02/18/2026 1:11:09 AM PST by Morgana
A Rhode Island father who sprang into action to confront a transgender gunman who opened fire at a high school hockey game said he does not consider himself a hero.
Michael Black attended the hockey match at the David M Lynch Arena in Pawtucket on Monday afternoon when gunman Robert Dorgan, 56 - who also went by 'Roberta Esposito' - suddenly shot and killed his son and ex-wife.
Dorgan's ex-wife's parents and a family friend were also left critically injured in the attack before the gunman took his own life.
Shocking footage from the shooting showed Dorgan walking slowly through the bleachers before firing a barrage of around a dozen shots.
He could be seen raising an arm and firing several times into one victim's back, before he was grabbed from behind by a brave witness who tried to detain him as others fled the melee.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said Monday night she believed the good Samaritan's quick response saved others' lives and brought the attack to a 'swift end.'
The following day, Black told WJAR how he leaped over seats to grab Dorgan's pistol - preventing him from firing any further shots - before tackling the gunman to the ground.
Reflecting on his decision to act, Black told the network how there were just about 10 minutes left in the first period of the match between two high school co-op teams when he heard a popping noise.
'As I was watching the game, I heard a "pop, pop." And I thought they were balloons - I thought they were big balloons,' the retired businessman recounted.
'And the noise was right in front of me. I looked and I saw, and heard, another "pop" and recognized there wasn't any balloons there and thought that something was wrong.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
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Why put up with crap. They are unstable lunatics. I’m tired of this 💩. I carry always. If you’re threatened don’t just stand there. Sad situation.
Okay I’ll say it. I would have picked up a hockey stick and hit him in the nuts that we all know he has under that skirt.
Unstable by nature and full of drugs.
When. Before or after the shooting? I don’t carry a concealed hockey stick. My issue is why did all these people let this asshole get this far?
“Unstable” is when you can’t hold down a job or maintain a household. This is pathological insanity.
Instead of affirming this kind of illness, we need to be treating it as the danger it is and considering involuntary confinement where necessary.
Thats what real heroes always say.
Gibbs rule #9: always have a knife. I add or a gun.
Some people run towards gunfire. Good on him.
“When. Before or after the shooting? “
When he walked into the ice rink. For sure if he walked into the ladies bathroom.
Even if you carried a hockey stick hidden in your hair like Super Globetrotters, none of us truly know how we’d react until we’re in this situation. Us keyboard warriors can type a big talk, but this man was truly brave when it counted.
yes, this man is truly the definition of first responder. i hope someone else helped him.
“Some people run towards gunfire.”
For sure. And we call those people “heroes”.
Another story said he had his nuts removed.
“Samaritan”
You ran into one of my fascinations! These people still exist where they always have, Samaria! Enjoy!
********
The Samaritans (also known as Israelite Samaritans) are a small ethnoreligious group who consider themselves the direct descendants and preservers of the ancient Israelites, specifically tracing their lineage to the northern tribes of the Kingdom of Israel (such as Ephraim and Manasseh). They practice Samaritanism, an ancient Abrahamic monotheistic religion based solely on the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Torah/Moses), which they preserve in an ancient version written in Samaritan Hebrew script.
They self-identify as Bene Yisrael (“Children of Israel”) or Shamerim (“Observant Ones”), emphasizing their role as the faithful remnant of the original Israelites. They reject later Jewish texts (such as the Prophets and Writings) and traditions that developed after what they see as a divergence from the true faith.
Historical Origins and Relation to Israelites, Jews, and Israel
The Samaritans trace their origins to the ancient Israelites who settled in Canaan (the biblical Land of Israel) centuries before the common era. According to their tradition, they are the true guardians of Israelite religion centered on Mount Gerizim (near ancient Shechem/Nablus), which they believe God chose as the holy site (based on their reading of the Torah, e.g., Deuteronomy).
• Biblical and historical divergence: After the death of King Solomon (c. 930 BCE), the united Kingdom of Israel split into the northern Kingdom of Israel (centered in Samaria) and the southern Kingdom of Judah (centered in Jerusalem). The northern kingdom fell to the Assyrians in 722 BCE, leading to the deportation of many Israelites and the resettlement of foreign populations who intermarried with remaining locals (2 Kings 17). This mixed population eventually became known as Samaritans.
• Jewish perspective (from biblical and rabbinic sources): The Samaritans are often viewed as descendants of these foreign colonists (called “Kutim” in Talmudic literature), resulting in a syncretistic or heretical faith, leading to deep historical enmity. Jews consider Jerusalem’s Temple Mount (Mount Zion) as the sole legitimate worship site.
• Samaritan perspective: They are the authentic Israelites who remained faithful, while the Jews (from Judah) deviated by shifting worship to Jerusalem under figures like Eli. The split is seen as ancient, predating the Assyrian conquest in their view.
This led to centuries of tension, including the building (and later destruction by the Hasmoneans in the 2nd century BCE) of a Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim, mutual exclusion from each other’s communities, and New Testament references (e.g., the Parable of the Good Samaritan highlighting Jewish-Samaritan animosity).
Today, Samaritans and Jews share genetic and cultural links as closely related Semitic/Israelite descendants (genetic studies show shared ancient Hebrew/Israelite ancestry), but they remain distinct religions and ethnic groups. Samaritans do not identify as Jews, and traditional Judaism does not recognize them as such (though some modern interactions are more amicable).
Where They Live Today
The Samaritan community is tiny and split between two main locations for practical and historical reasons:
• Mount Gerizim / Kiryat Luza (near Nablus in the West Bank, under Palestinian Authority control): This is their spiritual center, home to their high priest and the site of annual pilgrimages (e.g., Passover sacrifices). About 380–400 live here.
• Holon (a city just south of Tel Aviv in Israel): Many moved here in the mid-20th century for better opportunities and security. About 460 live here, with a synagogue.
As of recent estimates (around 2024–2025), the total population is approximately 900 people worldwide (roughly evenly split between the two locations, with slight variations in sources). The community has grown from a low of under 200 in the early 20th century through careful marriage practices (including some acceptance of converts, often women from other groups) but remains endangered due to its small size and reluctance toward large-scale conversion.
They hold dual or flexible citizenship/status (Israeli for Holon residents; Palestinian/Israeli arrangements for West Bank ones), navigating the Israeli-Palestinian divide while maintaining neutrality and their unique identity. Their language includes Samaritan Hebrew for liturgy, Arabic as a vernacular in the West Bank, and modern Hebrew in Israel.
We need to spread the word that the correct and good reaction of all adult males is to all simultaneously rush the shooter. Throw things at him as you run at him.
I contend that mass shootings will result in far fewer deaths if we normalize heroism. This is what Men do for Women and Children, because it is right, honorable, and necessary for the successful procreation and advancement of civilization.
You’re correct. Very few of us have had to confront that level of evil or danger. I’ve had a few things but they’ve paled in comparison. Going and finding the gas leak when the industrial building was being evacuated instead of running out for example. Dangerous? Maybe. Heroic? Not really. I was more annoyed by all the pansies around me who were running scared.
We have to practice in our minds what our reaction will be. Another poster mentioned Gibbs Rule 9.
If the guy took the gun away how did the perp kill himself?
This guy and the other two MEN that tackled this guy are HEROS. They sprang into action and potentially saved countless lives.
They deserve the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Maybe Trump could invite him and the other two men to the State of the Union.
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