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 said there was only one. Investigators were still working to determine a motive, New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley said. Authorities said there is no known connection between Nadeau and DeCesare.
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 that unfolded near his nephew’s wedding. He said he heard the shooter say “the children are safe” and “free Palestine” and appeared to be targeting someone.
“Getting together for a dance for the bride and groom and then all chaos went off,” he said. “We heard about six shots and everybody ducked for cover and next thing you know we’re rushed into safe spots and things like that.” He said some people dropped to the ground and attempted to get away from the scene. There was a lot of panic.
The mother of DeCesare had earlier described not being able to find her son after he was shot. “He went down. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter escaped ... They saw my son go down and they saw blood,” she said.
Aerial video from WMUR-TV showed multiple emergency responders heading to the scene. U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander said she was “closely monitoring the tragic reports of a shooting tonight at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua” and that her heart was with the victims, their families and the community.
