NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — A gunman opened fire in a New Hampshire country club on Saturday as a wedding was taking place, killing one person and wounding two others, authorities said. A suspect is in custody.
The person who died at the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua was a 59-year-old man identified as Robert Steven DeCesare, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Nashua Police Chief Kevin Rourke.
Authorities identified the suspect as Hunter Nadeau, age 23, and said he had been arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder for knowingly shooting DeCesare.
“Additional charges likely will be brought, including for the additional shooting victims,” Formella and Rourke said in a statement. They said they expect Nadeau to be arraigned at the Ninth Circuit Court in Nashua on Monday.
Authorities had initially thought there could be two shooters but later confirmed there was only one.
Investigators are working to determine a motive, with no known connection between Nadeau and DeCesare, according to New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley.
Information on the wounded victims’ conditions was not immediately available.
Tom Bartelson of Pepperell, Massachusetts, who was at the country club, described a chaotic scene unfolding near his nephew’s wedding. He detailed hearing the shooter say, “the children are safe” and “free Palestine,” suggesting he may have been targeting someone.
Witnesses reported that as the celebration took place, moments of joy quickly turned into panic as shots rang out. Bartelson recalled, “We heard about six shots, and everybody ducked for cover.”
He detailed the terror among attendees, saying, “We were trying to keep family members safe, keep everybody down and try to find safe spots.”
The mother of DeCesare recounted her distress at not being able to locate her son after he was shot, describing the horrible scene as her daughter-in-law and granddaughter witnessed the shooting. “He went down. They saw my son go down and they saw blood,” she said.
Others described fleeing from the gunman, with one witness specifically noting a man dressed in black and wearing a mask.
The Nashua Mayor expressed confidence in the police's ability to investigate and bring the perpetrator to justice, while U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander also expressed her condolences to the victims and their families.
Nashua, located approximately 45 miles northwest of Boston, is often considered a quiet community, making this incident particularly shocking for residents.
