NASHUA, N.H. — One man was shot and killed and several others wounded on Saturday night after a gunman opened fire inside the Sky Meadow Country Club.
A person of interest was taken into custody at the scene by Nashua Police officers. Authorities say there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The Nashua Police Department initially reported at approximately 8:30 p.m. that two armed suspects fled the area following the gunfire. However, less than an hour later, police clarified that video surveillance confirmed there was only one shooter involved and that individual was detained.
According to a press release issued late Saturday night by New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Nashua Police Chief Kevin Rourke, officers responded to 911 calls reporting gunfire at the country club, located at 6 Mountain Laurels Drive. The shooter entered the club and fired multiple rounds, killing one man. Several others were injured.
Officers have not released the identities of the victims or the suspect, and the number of wounded individuals remains unknown.
Shortly after the press release was issued, officials held a press conference late Saturday night near the Sheraton Hotel at 11 Tara Boulevard, which served as a unification site for those affected by the shooting.
Those who were at the country club at the time of the shooting were transported by bus to the hotel, where they could be met by family and friends to be picked up. With the country club still an active crime scene, they were unable to retrieve their vehicles or belongings from the club. Many arriving at the hotel were dressed in formal attire, having left abruptly — a wedding taking place at the time of the shooting, though it remains unclear if it was directly involved.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Larry Hinckley said during the press conference that authorities did not have any prepared statements but would take questions “knowing this is an ongoing investigation at this point, so the amount of information we can share is very exclusive.”
Hinckley said a motive was not yet known.
“There’s a lot of details that we need to figure out and we need to know that information before we can share it and that’s one of the details that we’re trying to learn,” Hinckley said.
“We’re dealing with the facts and the information that we gather, and once we get the facts and information and have an active motive that we can share, we’ll certainly do that,” he added.
When asked if it was a targeted shooting, Hinckley said, “Again that’s facts and information that we’re trying to develop right immediately.”
He confirmed there were multiple shooting victims, but the exact number was unclear.
“We’re trying to iron out that particular detail,” Hinckley said. “Some of the shooting victims went to local fire departments so that’s why we’re not sure of that detail just yet.”
Hinckley specified that some victims drove themselves to local fire departments and added that there were gunshot victims as well as other “non-gunshot” injuries. As for their condition, he said it “was too early to say.”
He reiterated that a wedding was taking place at the country club during the shooting, but said it was unclear whether the event was directly involved.
“That information is still being developed,” Hinckley said. “As soon as we can share that without interfering with the integrity of the investigation then we will do that.”
The country club includes a restaurant, multiple rooms, a patio pavilion, pool, and golf course.
Hinckley emphasized that no arrests had been made as of Saturday night, but “a person of interest has been detained pending warrants at this point in time.”
“But we have identified all the people involved in this situation and there’s no threat to the general public at this point in time,” he added.
Details about the firearm used or whether other weapons were involved were not available.
“Again this still is an active and ongoing investigation,” Hinckley said. “We expect there will be further developments, but in terms of further news releases, I expect those will be once the deceased person’s family has been notified and an autopsy has been conducted, we typically put out a news release. That will probably be (Sunday), and if and when there is an arrest, there will also be a news release on that.”
During the press conference, Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess described the incident as a “tragedy.”
“We are lucky we have the Nashua Police Department, and I am confident that they will get to the bottom of this,” he said.
Donchess expressed sadness and surprise that a mass-shooting event erupted in Nashua, but added “immediately it has.”
“No matter how unlikely it seems, it can happen where you live,” he said.
Rourke praised the response by officers and the mutual aid from other area agencies that assisted, describing law enforcement as “a brotherhood.”
“It was a quick response,” Rourke said. “One, going into a dangerous situation like that, but we train that way.”
Dunstable Emergency Management, which borders Nashua and includes part of the country club’s golf course, issued a shelter-in-place order for residents on Thorndike, High, and Hardy streets out of caution during the incident. The order, issued at about 8:30 p.m., instructed residents to “remain indoors, lock all doors and windows, do not allow anyone into your home unless you know them personally, stay off the roads in the affected area to allow emergency responders access, and monitor official town communication channels for updates.”
This is a developing story.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
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