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

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 wounded two other adults. Nadeau, 23, has been arrested in connection with the shooting. The man who died was 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare, according to 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. Officials said that “additional charges likely will be brought, including for the additional shooting victims.”

Authorities said there is no known connection between Nadeau and DeCesare.

However, Nadeau reportedly had a connection to Sky Meadow Country Club. He worked at the club for about a year, though the type of work he did is not currently known, ABC affiliate WMUR reported, citing the attorney general.

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

O’Rourke said the family had a reason to celebrate: DeCesare was preparing to watch his daughter get married in just six weeks.

After the shooter entered the country club and shot the maître d’, DeCesare put himself between the gunman and his family, WCVB reported.

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

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

She also described the scene after DeCesare was shot: “He went down. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter escaped. They saw my son go down and they saw blood,” AP reported.

The Sept. 20 shooting happened 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 ran from the suspect.

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

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