January 15, 2026
Back to all stories

New Hampshire Country Club Shooting Suspect Indicted on First‑Degree Murder

A New Hampshire grand jury has indicted 24‑year‑old Hunter Nadeau of Nashua on alternate theories of first‑degree and second‑degree murder, as well as attempted murder and assault, for a Sept. 20, 2025 shooting at the Sky Meadow Country Club that killed one person and wounded two others while a wedding reception was underway nearby. Prosecutors say Nadeau fatally shot patron Robert DeCesare Jr., who his wife says was shielding her and their daughter, and wounded restaurant manager Steven Burtman and customer Brianna Surette before patrons helped subdue the gunman, including one who struck him with a stool. Authorities still have not disclosed a motive but say they do not believe the victims were specifically targeted, and note that Nadeau had previously worked at the club. Court records show Nadeau had an earlier simple‑assault charge from an April incident at a grocery store that had been placed on file in September to be dismissed if he stayed on good behavior. The new indictments escalate the case from the original second‑degree murder charge and set up a high‑stakes prosecution over a seemingly random attack at a public venue.

U.S. Crime and Courts Mass Shootings and Public Safety

📌 Key Facts

  • A New Hampshire grand jury indicted Hunter Nadeau on first‑ and second‑degree murder, attempted murder, and assault charges for the Sept. 20, 2025 Sky Meadow Country Club shooting.
  • Victim Robert DeCesare Jr. was killed and two others — manager Steven Burtman and patron Brianna Surette — were wounded as a nearby wedding reception took place.
  • Authorities say they do not believe the victims were specifically targeted and note Nadeau, 24, previously worked at the club and had a prior simple‑assault case placed on file in September 2025.

📊 Relevant Data

Approximately 64.5% of individuals who perpetrated public mass shootings in the U.S. from 1966 to 2019 had a prior criminal record.

Public Mass Shootings: Database Amasses Details of a Half Century of U.S. Mass Shootings with Firearms, Generating Psychosocial Histories — National Institute of Justice

New Hampshire has a three-year recidivism rate of 41.5% for released offenders, which is about the same as the national rate.

Recidivism Rates by State 2026 — World Population Review

Since February 22, 2017, New Hampshire has been a constitutional carry state, requiring no license to open carry or concealed carry a firearm in public.

Gun laws in New Hampshire — Wikipedia

In Nashua, New Hampshire, the population is approximately 91,003 as of 2023, with White residents comprising 75.08% of the total population, Hispanic or Latino 12.13%, Asian 7.84%, Black or African American 2.6%, and other groups making up the remainder.

Nashua, NH Population by Race & Ethnicity - 2025 Update — Neilsberg

Mass public shooters in the United States from 1966 to 2019 were 97.7% male, with an average age of 34.1 years, and racially 52.3% White, 20.9% Black, 8.1% Latino, 6.4% Asian, 4.2% Middle Eastern, and 1.8% Native American.

Mass shootings in the United States — Wikipedia

📰 Source Timeline (1)

Follow how coverage of this story developed over time