A gunman opened fire at the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Saturday night, killing one man and injuring several others, authorities said.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Nashua Police Chief Kevin Rourke confirmed the death, while Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley said some victims suffered gunshot wounds and others were hurt in the chaos. The exact number of people injured has not yet been released.
Police detained a male suspect at the scene, dismissing earlier reports of multiple shooters. They said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Eyewitnesses said the gunman seemed to be targeting a specific person rather than shooting randomly. Some reported hearing him shout “the children are safe” and “free Palestine.” Another witness said someone struck the gunman with a chair, possibly as he was reloading or had his back turned.
One woman told CBS News, “I first initially hid under the table with a tablecloth. Your next thought is, am I safe here? Am I a sitting duck? What’s going to happen? Is this guy going to come through, is he going to be looking under tablecloths? Is he going to be shooting everyone in the room? You don’t know. It’s very scary to experience something like that.”
The suspect, who was bleeding, reportedly ran through a wedding reception into the kitchen before being detained.
Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess called the incident a “tragedy,” saying: “No matter how unlikely it seems, it can happen where you are,” and pledged to “bring appropriate justice” to those responsible.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsInvestigators are still working to determine a motive.