Hunter Nadeau, Nashua, New Hampshire man charged with murder of Robert Steven DeCesare during mass shooting at Sky Meadow Country Club wedding reception. Two others injured. Suspect was heard yelling, ‘free Palestine’ before firing.
A 23 year old gunman is to face murder charges after firing gunshots at wedding guests who had attended a reception at a New Hampshire County club, Saturday night.
Hunter Nadeau was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Robert Steven DeCesare, 59, at the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, Attorney General John M. Formella announced Sunday morning.
Nashua, New Hampshire shooter Hunter Nadeau was chanting “Free Palestine” while shooting a man in the face and injuring 2 others. pic.twitter.com/veiUQN5iZB
— Lucra (@lucrafund) September 21, 2025
Why did Nashua gunman target New Hampshire private country club?
Nadeau is alleged to have entered the private country club that was hosting a wedding reception and firing several shots from a handgun around 8:30 p.m., killing DeCesare and wounding two other unidentified adults.
The gunman was derailed during the mass shooting after a witness struck the shooter over the head with a chair, forcing him to his knees and causing him to drop the gun.
The shooter according to the witness then went through the kitchen, ‘yelling some things’, before leaving the scene entirely. The gunman was quickly arrested after fleeing the scene, according to the Nashua Police Department.
Witness Tom Bartelson, who had come to his nephew’s wedding, recalled the gunman shouting ‘the children are safe’ and ‘free Palestine’ before firing a barrage of bullets into the private country club reception.
‘Getting together for a dance for the bride and groom and then all chaos went off,’ Bartelson told the Associated Press. ‘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.’
Bartelson recalled guests panicking during the chaos as they fled for safety while adding it appeared that the gunman was ‘targeting somebody.’
Officials did not find an immediate connection between Nadeau and his victims.
Sky Meadow Country Club attendee Tom Bartelson witnessed shooter and heard shooter say: “The children are safe and free Palestine.” pic.twitter.com/LKiK6dE597
— Paula Neal Mooney (@PAULANEALMOONEY) September 21, 2025
Were shooting victims targeted or random?
‘We were trying to keep family members safe,’ Bartelson said. ‘Keep everybody down and try to find safe spots.’
Along with the fatality, two other adults were shot and injured but were said not to have life-threatening injuries. Another four were also hospitalized with injuries they sustained as they sought cover and fled the venue, WMUR reported, citing police sources.
The mother of DeCesare, the man who was killed, had earlier described not being able to find her son after he was shot according to WBUR.
‘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.’
A regard of the suspect’s Facebook profile, revealed Hunter Nadeau being a resident of Nashua, New Hampshire and having 147 friends.
To date authorities have not said what led to the gunman targeting the Nashua venue and to presently believe the victims were random.
Initial reports intimated that there had been 2 possible shooters, with the Nashua Police Department confirming at 9.20p.m that there was only one shooter, an adult male who had been detained.
Nadeau is expected to be booked with additional charges stemming from the wounded victims.
He is scheduled to be arraigned in the Ninth Circuit Court in Nashua on Monday.
Nashua, a city of more than 91,000, is about 45 minutes from Boston on the Massachusetts border.
