Law enforcement officials arrested a 23-year-old suspect on Satuday after he entered a New Hampshire country club that was being used for a wedding, shouted “Free Palestine,” and opened fire, leaving one person dead, two people injured with gunshot wounds, and four others injured while trying to flee from the shooter.
According to WMUR, The New York Post, witnesses claimed that the shooter opened fire at the Sky Meadow Country Club in New Hampshire on Saturday just prior to the bride and groom’s dance. The outlet noted that 23-year-old Hunter Nadeau has been charged with second-degree murder following Saturday’s shooting.
WMUR reported that the deceased victim has been identified as 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare. In addition to the deceased victim, police officials confirmed that two other victims were shot and wounded by the 23-year-old suspect, while at least four other individuals were injured as they attempted to flee from the shooter.
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“It looked like a target, that he was going right for this person,” Tom Bartelson, an eyewitness of Saturday’s shooting incident, told reporters. “I feel terrible for him.”
“He just came out and said, ‘The children are safe,’ and, ‘Free Palestine,'” Bartelson added.
In a statement obtained by The New York Post, Bartelson explained that the “chaos went off” right as the wedding attendees at the country club were “getting together for a dance for the bride and groom.”
“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,” the eyewitness said.
In a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, an eyewitness can be heard telling reporters that the sound of the gunshots initially sounded like balloons. “But then you look around, and we didn’t have balloons,” the witness said. “And then it got serious.”
In a Saturday post on X, the Nashua Police Department announced that law enforcement officials were investigating an incident at the Sky Meadow Country Club that involved “multiple gunshot victims.” While the police department initially claimed that the shooting involved “two armed suspects,” officials later released an update, saying, “Video surveillance has confirmed there was only one shooter and they are currently being detained.”
In a statement on Facebook, Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess expressed his condolences for the families of the victims impacted by Saturday’s shooting incident and commended the Nashua Police Department for “quick work in catching the ‘person of interest.'”
