Alleged New Hampshire country club shooter said he was targeting wealthy ‘elites’: report

The New Hampshire man accused of opening fire inside a country club last year, killing one person, reportedly confessed to the shooting, telling investigators he aimed to kill the rich. 

Hunter West Nadeau, 24, told police he carried out the shooting at a steakhouse located at the Sky Meadow Club in Nashua in an effort to retaliate against the rich because “they were not helping the poor,” according to a police affidavit obtained by the Boston Globe. 

The affidavit reportedly pointed to surveillance video showing Nadeau entering the club’s main entrance around 7:17 p.m. on Sept. 20, wearing a black hoodie and carrying a green backpack. 

Nadeau then allegedly walked to PRIME steakhouse, put on a face mask and brandished a gun, firing five shots at employee Steve Burtman, according to the affidavit.

Burtman, who was reportedly stationed at the front desk, was struck in the face, the outlet reported. He survived his injuries. 

Surveillance footage then reportedly shows Nadeau entering the restaurant and firing five more shots toward numerous patrons. 

Nadeau allegedly struck and killed 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare, who was dining with his wife and daughter. A third patron was also injured as he allegedly fired multiple shots toward a group of individuals.

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Nadeau then “continued to shoot until he was attacked by other patrons in the restaurant, and he retreated back through the doors of the steakhouse,” the affidavit reportedly said. 

A witness previously told The Associated Press Nadeau allegedly yelled “Free Palestine” as the chaos was unfolding. 

Police subsequently located Nadeau on the club’s golf course, where he “was bleeding from apparent self-inflicted incised wounds to [his] arms and wrists, and made statements to the effect that he was a ‘bad guy,’” according to the filing. 

He then reportedly took responsibility for the shooting, telling officers about his negative feelings toward the affluent.

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Speaking to authorities from his hospital bed, Nadeau told investigators “he was tired of the ‘elites’ taking all the money,” according to the outlet. 

Nadeau also reportedly told investigators he chose Sky Meadow because he had previously worked there and knew members were affluent.

“He said that he settled on Sky Meadow as a location because he worked there about a year ago as a server and knew that you had to have money to have a membership there,” police said, according to the Globe.

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“He was not targeting a specific person but did not care whether he killed someone or not,” police reportedly added. 

Additionally, Nadeau explained why he chose against targeting a wedding being held at the venue at the time of the shooting, telling police “he did not want to target ‘civilians,’” according to the outlet. 

At the time, the shooting came less than one year after Luigi Mangione allegedly opened fire on UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in an apparent assassination in midtown Manhattan. Investigators have pointed to similar ideological motives behind Mangione’s alleged crimes.

In January, prosecutors handed down multiple charges against Nadeau, including first-degree murder and reckless second-degree murder, according to the New Hampshire Department of Justice. 

He is currently being held without bail as he awaits trial. 

Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate an attorney representing Nadeau. 

Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. 

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