Link to Sunday’s press conference with Attorney General John Formella and Nashua Police Chief Kevin Rourke here: https://youtu.be/z-wLSS0j5QA Video by Jeffrey Hastings

The man accused of fatally shooting a man who was eating dinner with his family at the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua Saturday night formerly worked there, but left about a year ago, according to Attorney General John M. Formella.

Formella said Hunter Nadeau, 23, is a Nashua resident who will be arraigned Monday on one count of “reckless” second-degree murder in connection with the death of Robert Steven DeCesare, 59, with a handgun. One of the two other gunshot victims was an unidentified patron whose condition was not stated.

The other was an employee, a host working in the hallway of the wedding venue, who was airlifted to Mass. General Hospital in critical but stable condition, Nashua Police Chief Kevin Rourke said. There was a wedding event taking place next to the restaurant.

Four other people sustained injuries trying to leave the club after the shooting, Formella said at a press conference Sunday afternoon with Chief Rourke.

Formella said statements that Nadeau reportedly made during the shootings – which lasted less than a minute – such as “Free Palestine” do not indicate any hate-related motive.

“There have been reports he made certain statements such as ‘Free Palestine,’ but based on the evidence we gathered…we don’t have any evidence at this time that indicate Mr. Nadeau was motivated by hate-based motives.

“In fact I would say the evidence leads us to believe it is more likely that Mr. Nadeau was trying to make a number of statements to create chaos in the moment,” Formella said.

In a news release Saturday night, the Attorney General’s Office said there is no known connection between Hunter Nadeau and Mr. DeCesare. 

Formella thanked the quick actions of law enforcement and said because of the “selfless actions of patrons in the restaurant this ended up being a fairly contained event. It lasted well under a minute.” He said some patrons “worked to intervene to stop the shooter,” but didn’t provide more details.

As tragic as the events were, Formella said it could have been much worse. He praised law enforcement and first responders and the patrons.

Chief Rourke said Nadeau was found in a nearby neighborhood within 30 minutes of the shootings. He wouldn’t say if Nadeau was still armed.

The city of Nashua issued the following news release:

City of Nashua Provides Resources and Updates for Those Impacted by Sky Meadow Country Club Shooting

Nashua, NH – The City of Nashua extends its deepest concern and support to all those impacted by the tragic incident at the Sky Meadow Country Club last night. We understand this is a difficult time for our community and want to share resources available to assist those affected.

Support Services

• American Red Cross: Call1-855-891-7325 If you or your loved ones need assistance, please reach out to the American Red Cross for support services.
• NH Rapid Response Access Point: Call/Text 1-833-710-6477 If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff. You’ll be served by compassionate providers from mental health centers in your community who can help you access vital resources in an emergency.
• Disaster Distress Helpline: Call 1-800-985-5990 for a 24/7 national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Anyone experiencing emotional distress is encouraged to call or text 988 to be connected with mental health crisis support, available 24/7.

Retrieval of Vehicles and Personal Items

• Vehicles: If you left a vehicle in the parking lot, you may return to the area. Please check in with the officer stationed in the parking lot to be assisted in retrieving your car.
• Personal Belongings: The Sky Meadow Country Club remains part of an active investigation. Updates on when and how to retrieve personal belongings from inside the ballroom will be provided by the Nashua Police Department.

Stay Informed

For the most current updates regarding this investigation and the retrieval process, check the Nashua Police Department account on X (formerly Twitter) @NashuaPolice or call the station.

The City of Nashua remains committed to supporting all those affected and thanks the community for its resilience during this time.