New court records show that the son of a Rhode Island mass shooting suspect is already serving a federal prison sentence for setting fires at a church.
Kevin Colantonio, 37, was sentenced in June 2024 to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to arson charges. Prosecutors said he set multiple fires outside Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries in North Providence in February 2024.
The church serves a predominantly Black congregation and was empty at the time of the attack.
Details of the Federal Case
According to federal court documents cited by local outlet WPRI, Colantonio used gasoline and a lighter to ignite five separate fires outside the church building.
Investigators recovered notebooks from his home that contained racist and extremist writings. Federal authorities classified the incident as a hate-motivated attack.
Colantonio is currently incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Information about federal inmate sentencing and custody is available through the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Connection to Rhode Island Shooting
Colantonio is one of six children of Robert Dorgan, the suspect in a deadly shooting at a Pawtucket youth hockey event earlier this week.
Authorities say Dorgan killed two people and wounded three others before dying from what police described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
Local officials have not publicly stated whether Colantonio had any role in the recent shooting. Law enforcement has emphasized that the arson case and the hockey rink shooting are separate criminal matters.
Community Impact and Broader Concerns
The church targeted in the 2024 arson attack had roughly 100 members. Congregation leaders said they were grateful no one was injured.
Federal hate crime laws allow enhanced penalties when crimes target individuals or groups based on race or religion. The Department of Justice outlines these protections at justice.gov/hatecrimes.
Extremist violence remains a concern for law enforcement nationwide. The FBI has repeatedly warned that racially motivated violent extremism poses a persistent domestic threat.
Ongoing Investigations
Authorities continue to investigate the Pawtucket shooting while Colantonio serves his sentence in Texas. Officials have not announced additional charges related to either case.
Community leaders in Rhode Island have called for unity and vigilance in the wake of the violence.
As investigators work to piece together timelines and motivations, the cases underscore the broader impact of extremist ideology and violence on families and communities.