Witnesses say suspect in lethal country club attack yelled, ‘Free Palestine!’ — but officials deny ‘hate-based’ motive

Witness statements from a lethal shooting at a country club in New Hampshire point to a political motivation for the suspect, but police deny evidence of a “hate-based” impulse for the attack.

Hunter Nadeau, 23, walked into the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua with a handgun and opened fire on the patrons, according to prosecutors. Three people were shot, and one man, identified as 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare, was killed.

‘I would say that the evidence leads us to believe this was more likely Mr. Nadeau was simply trying to make a number of statements to create chaos in the moment.’

A wedding reception was under way when Nadeau allegedly shot at patrons and workers. The suspect fled the scene and was arrested in a neighborhood nearby.

Police said that Nadeau previously had been employed at the country club but had not worked there for a year.

Some of the witnesses said the suspect yelled phrases like, “Free Palestine!” but officials rejected the suspicion that he was motivated by hatred.

“We don’t have any evidence at this time that Mr. Nadeau was motivated by hate-based motivation,” said New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella. “In fact, I would say that the evidence leads us to believe this was more likely Mr. Nadeau was simply trying to make a number of statements to create chaos in the moment.”

“We’re aware of statements that were reported that he made. The circumstances, whether he actually made them, under what circumstances he made them, are being investigated,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley.

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Nadeau was charged with one count of second-degree murder, but Formella’s office said additional charges are likely.

“There’s one single charge. The defendant was charged with that because under New Hampshire state law, under that single charge that’s a no-bail charge,” Hinckley said. “We understand and realize there are additional victims. We anticipate there will be additional charges that both relate to those victims who have not been named yet as well as the murder victim.”

Witnesses said DeCesare was shot when he stepped in between the shooter and his family to save them.

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