A grand jury has upped the charges against the man accused of fatally shooting a guest and wounding two others during a wedding reception at the Sky Meadow Country Club in New Hampshire.
At a Glance
- Hunter Nadeau, 24, now faces both first- and second-degree murder counts for the Sept. 20 shooting.
- Robert DeCesare Jr., 59, died shielding his wife and daughter; two others were injured.
- Nadeau, a former club employee, was subdued by patrons before arrest.
- Why it matters: The new indictments signal prosecutors will pursue the maximum penalty for what appears to be a random attack.
New Charges Filed
The Hillsborough County grand jury returned the upgraded indictments Thursday, according to Amanda S. Bennett. Nadeau, of Nashua, originally faced a single second-degree murder count. The new charges include alternate theories of first-degree murder, attempted murder and multiple assault counts tied to the chaos that unfolded while a wedding party celebrated nearby.
Authorities have not offered a motive and say they do not believe the victims were specifically targeted. Nadeau worked at the club in the past and was taken into custody moments after the gunfire stopped.
Victims and Heroes
Robert DeCesare Jr. was having dinner with his wife, Charlene, and their daughter to discuss her upcoming November 2 wedding when bullets tore through the PRIME restaurant. Charlene told News Of Losangeles her husband pushed her and their daughter to safety before he was shot.
Restaurant manager Steven Burtman and patron Brianna Surette were also wounded. Witnesses credit quick-acting diners with preventing further bloodshed; one person struck Nadeau with a bar stool to help subdue him.
Prior Incident
Court records show Nadeau was charged in April with simple assault for allegedly shoving a grocery-store manager to the floor. Both sides agreed in September to place that misdemeanor on file and dismiss it if he stayed out of trouble.
Reopening
More than two months after the shooting, the PRIME restaurant inside Sky Meadow has reopened. A message left for Nadeau’s attorney Thursday was not immediately returned.
Key Takeaways
- Prosecutors added first-degree murder, raising the stakes to a possible life sentence.
- The attack appears random, leaving guests and staff struggling for answers.
- Quick actions by patrons likely saved lives.
- The club’s restaurant resumed operations, signaling a step toward normalcy.
