A man is dead and several others are injured after a shooter opened fire at a New Hampshire country club on Saturday night, the state attorney general’s office said.
The suspected shooter entered the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, about 40 miles south of Concord, around 8 p.m. and fired several gunshots, according to officials. Surveillance video confirmed there was one suspect, who is now in custody, the Nashua Police Department said. Investigators previously said there were two suspects.
The victim was identified as 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare.
A suspect, who was named as Hunter Nadeau, has 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,” authorities said in a statement. They said they expect Nadeau to be arraigned at the Ninth Circuit Court in Nashua on Monday.
Police 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.
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, he said.
“We were trying to keep family members safe,” he said. “Keep everybody down and try to find safe spots.”
The mother of DeCesare, the man who was killed, 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,” the mother, Evie O’Rourke of Salem, New Hampshire, said.
Emily Ernst, who was at the scene, said she saw a gunman in all black.
“He had a mask on. We just saw him raise the gun and then we ran,” Ernst said. “I ran through the kitchen for my life.”
Aerial video from WMUR-TV showed multiple emergency responders heading to the scene. Later, Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess said he had faith in police to “get to the bottom of this and bring the perpetrator to justice.”
He added: “I think the message is for every community out there is that no matter how unlikely it seems it can happen where you live.”
American Medical Response ambulance company told CBS News they transported patients to area hospitals, but did not confirm how many.
There were more than 100 people on the property of the country club when gunfire broke out, local outlet WMUR reports.
There was a heavy police presence at the scene, and several emergency vehicles were parked on a nearby street, according to footage taken by WMUR-TV on Saturday night. Investigators refused to confirm the nature of the event, but local media reports suggest it was a wedding. Authorities also said they couldn't confirm if it was a targeted attack.
Nashua police said officers were using the nearby Sheraton Hotel as a unification site.
Fire officials in nearby Dunstable, Massachusetts, issued a shelter in place order for residents on Thorndike Street, High Street, and Hardy Street. The order was lifted just after 10:15 p.m.
The private country club has a golf course and hosts a variety of events, including weddings, according to its website.
New Hampshire Representative Maggie Goodlander said she was monitoring the situation closely.
“I’m closely monitoring the tragic reports of a shooting tonight at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua,” she wrote on X. “My heart is with the victims, their families, and the entire Nashua community as we await more information.”
New Hampshire Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan also shared reactions to the shooting.
“My team and I are closely monitoring reports of the horrific tragedy at Sky Meadow Country Club tonight,” Shaheen wrote. “Billy and I are praying for those injured. There is no place in our state for this type of senseless violence.”
“As we learn more about tonight’s shooting in Nashua, my heart goes out to the families of those impacted,” Hassan wrote. “And I’m grateful for the work of the law enforcement officers and first responders at the scene.”
