A 26-year-old Mont Vernon man is being held without bail after Hudson police say he fired a handgun into a residence on Colson Road where his ex-girlfriend was present, sending a bullet through the exterior wall and into the home on Halloween night. Samuel Claire was arraigned in the 9th Circuit Nashua District Court this past Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to stalking and unauthorized use of a firearm, while entering no plea to felonious use of a firearm and two counts of reckless conduct.
According to the Lowell Sun, Hudson police responded to the Colson Road home at about 10:35 p.m. on Oct. 31 after reports of gunfire. People inside the residence, which included multiple occupants besides Claire's ex-girlfriend, reported that a shot had been fired from a passing vehicle that then drove off. A bullet was later recovered inside the home after penetrating its exterior wall, and no injuries were reported.
Court documents allege Claire was armed with a Taurus 9mm handgun when he drove past the residence multiple times and fired into it. Hudson police say they identified Claire as a suspect after determining that the vehicle involved belonged to him and learning of his prior relationship with one of the people inside the home. As WZID reported, that prior relationship with one of the victims helped tie him to the incident.
A Separate Stop in Amherst the Same Night
Hudson police requested help from neighboring agencies in locating the suspect vehicle, and Amherst police stopped Claire later that night, taking him into custody on a number of other charges. Police allegedly recovered a firearm from Claire's vehicle during that arrest, according to the same WZID report. Boston 25 News reported that Hudson police say Claire allegedly fired the gun into the home shortly after 10:30 p.m.
Over the following days, Hudson police detectives and crime scene technicians developed evidence connecting Claire to the Oct. 31 shooting, and he was arrested on Nov. 3 in connection with that incident, according to court documents cited by the Lowell Sun. By the time charges were formally filed, as Boston 25 News reported, investigators determined they had enough evidence to charge Claire with the Halloween night shooting.
Charges and What Happens Next
WZID reported that Claire faces five charges tied to the weekend's events, including two felony counts of reckless conduct, stalking, and unauthorized use of a firearm or firecracker. Under New Hampshire’s statute on felonious use of firearms, a person can be convicted of a class B felony for committing or attempting a felony while armed with a firearm, according to New Hampshire Revised Statutes — though that statutory language does not establish whether the allegations against Claire are proven.
A court ordered Claire held without bail, though his bail could be converted to personal recognizance if he is accepted into a residential treatment program, per the Lowell Sun's reporting. If he is discharged from that program, he would be held in custody. Claire's attorney, Timothy Goulden, was not available for immediate comment.
Claire is scheduled to return to court in Nashua next Thursday for a probable cause hearing. Hudson police have asked anyone with information about the case to call 603-886-6011.
