A tragic incident unfolded at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, where one person was fatally shot and multiple others injured on a Saturday night. CBS Boston reports that the suspect, 23-year-old Hunter Nadeau, has been arrested and faces a charge of second-degree murder following the shooting. The violence erupted around 8 p.m. ET at the establishment located on Mountain Laurels Drive, roughly a 45-mile drive northwest of Boston, Massachusetts.
In an early analysis, police believed that two armed suspects might have fled the scene, but later determined, after viewing surveillance footage, that there had been only one shooter. This gunman has been taken into custody and is said to pose no further danger to the public, according to statements obtained by CBS Boston. As the community grapples with the aftermath, officials have been quick to reassure that there is no ongoing threat to residents.
The victim has been identified as 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare. Additional charges are expected to be brought against Nadeau, including for the injuries sustained by the other victims, per information released by the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office. An arraignment for Nadeau is set for the Ninth Circuit Court in Nashua on Monday.
CBS Boston identified a witness, Sophie Flabouris, who was attending a wedding at the country club. She reported that the shooting occurred in the restaurant adjacent to where the wedding was happening. In her account, someone hit the shooter with a chair, which led to the suspect bleeding and running through the wedding reception to escape. Flabouris explained how she initially sought refuge under a table before running to find safety in a locker room. She told CBS Boston, "Your next thought is, 'Am I safe here? Am I a sitting duck? What's going to happen? Is this guy going to come through? Is he going to be looking under tablecloths? Is he going to be shooting everyone in the room? You don't know. It’s very scary to experience something like that."
Meanwhile, a concurrent report from NBC Boston revealed that the incident left multiple people injured. However, officials were still trying to ascertain exactly how many were harmed, as some had self-transported to local fire departments. Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley said that it was too early to state the condition of the victims or to confirm any motive for the attack, though he pledged that information would be shared as it became available.
Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess spoke on the matter, describing the situation as a tragedy for the community and acknowledging that such violence is not something unheard of in other municipalities, but always seems distant until it strikes closer to home. According to NBC Boston, Donchess commented, "Now it has," emphasizing that incidents like this can happen anywhere and acknowledging the sad reality that had befallen Nashua.
Law enforcement agencies from both New Hampshire and neighboring Massachusetts provided mutual aid with several federal agencies involved as well. The investigation remains active, with further updates anticipated as the case progresses, per details shared from NBC Boston.
