The 23-year-old murder suspect who authorities say opened fire at a New Hampshire country club Saturday evening was a former employee of the club, state Attorney General John Formella said during a press conference Sunday afternoon. There is no evidence of “a hate-based motivation.”
Nashua resident Hunter Nadeau is accused of killing 59-year-old Robert DeCesare with a handgun at Sky Meadow Country Club’s Prime restaurant in Nashua, the attorney general’s office said previously. There is no known connection between the two men.
“DeCesare was just having dinner with his family at the country club, and his life was tragically taken,” Formella said Sunday afternoon.
The shooting began when Nadeau shot a host at the country club’s wedding venue outside a set of bathrooms during a wedding celebration, Nashua Police Chief Kevin Rourke said Sunday afternoon. The host was flown by medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital and remains in critical but stable condition.
Nadeau then released a second round of gunfire inside Prime restaurant, striking DeCesare and another patron, Rourke said. Officials did not provide information about the third shooting victim’s condition or whether Nadeau opened fire on those attending the wedding.
Four other patrons were injured but not by gunfire, Formella said. Their injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.
Though witnesses reported hearing Nadeau shout several different political slogans during the attack, his true motivation and whether he meant to target a specific victim or victims remains unclear, the attorney general said.
“There’s been reports that he made certain statements such as ‘Free Palestine,’ but based on the evidence we have gathered, Mr. Nadeau made a number of statements during the event,” he said. ” … I would say that at this point, the evidence leads us to believe that it is more likely that Mr. Nadeau was simply trying to make a number of statements to create chaos in the moment.”
Police responded to the country club Saturday evening after receiving several 911 calls reporting multiple gunshots, the attorney general’s office said previously.
The shooting garnered a huge police response, including officers from six local police departments, New Hampshire and Massachusetts State Police and three federal agencies, Rourke said Sunday afternoon. Nadeau was arrested in a nearby neighborhood within 30 minutes.
He praised police, federal agents and “selfless” restaurant patrons during and after the shooting.
Formella declined to specify what Nadeau’s position was while employed by the country club, but said that he had not worked there for approximately a year.
Nadeau faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with the shooting, but is expected to face further charges. He is set to be arraigned on the charges virtually in Nashua District Court at 1 p.m. on Monday, Formella said. The New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner’s Office is also set to autopsy DeCesare’s body on Monday.
The investigation into the shooting is still in its early stages, and more information will be released at a later time, Formella said.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
