Victim in New Hampshire Country Club Shooting Identified as Dad Who Died Protecting His Family as Suspect Is Arrested

NEED TO KNOW

• The victim in the New Hampshire country club shooting has been identified as Robert Steven DeCesare

• DeCesare was dining with his wife and daughter on Sept. 20 when the suspect, identified as Hunter Nadeau, allegedly shot and killed him

• There is no connection between DeCesare and Nadeau, according to officials

The man who died in a shooting at a New Hampshire country club has been identified.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, Hunter Nadeau allegedly shot and killed a man at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, and shot and wounded two other adults. Nadeau, 23, has since been arrested in connection with the shooting incident, while the man who died has been identified as 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare, per a press release from Attorney General John M. Formella and Nashua Police Department Chief Kevin Rourke.

Nadeau has been charged with one count of second-degree murder for knowingly shooting DeCesare with a handgun, the officials said, noting that “additional charges likely will be brought, including for the additional shooting victims.”

There is no known connection between Nadeau and DeCesare, the officials said.

Nadeau reportedly had a connection to Sky Meadow Country Club, however. He worked at the club for about a year, though the nature of his employment is not currently known, ABC affiliate WMUR reported, citing the attorney general.

A Salem, N.H., native, DeCesare was dining with his wife and daughter when Nadeau allegedly began shooting, according to reports from The Associated Press and ABC affiliate WCVB, both of which cite DeCesare’s mother, Evie O’Rourke.

And the family had cause for celebration, O’Rourke told WCVB: DeCesare was preparing to watch his daughter get married in just six weeks.

After the shooter entered the New Hampshire establishment and shot the maître d’, DeCesare put himself between the gunman and his family, according to WCVB.

“He did what I’m sure was his instinct to do,” O’Rourke told the outlet. DeCesare “was facing the shooter, not trying to get away,” she added, citing the victim’s wife.

“I’m still in shock seeing the shooting,” added the grieving mom, “but I know he did this: His thought was to take care of his family.”

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O’Rourke also described the scene after DeCesare was shot. “He went down. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter escaped,” she said, per AP. “They saw my son go down and they saw blood.”

The Sept. 20 shooting incident occurred next to a restaurant where a wedding party was taking place with hundreds of people dancing, according to WDHD 7News. Guests heard the gunshots and began running from the suspect, per the outlet.

Nadeau is scheduled to be arraigned at the Ninth Circuit Court in Nashua on Monday, Sept. 22.

The attorney’s office and police are investigating the shooting, and police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Nashua Police Department at 603-594-3500.

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