A wedding celebration at a New Hampshire country club descended into chaos Saturday evening when a gunman opened fire, killing one man and wounding others, with witnesses reporting that the attacker shouted “Free Palestine” during the assault. The shooting at the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua has raised alarm over a string of violent incidents in the U.S. involving suspects invoking pro-Palestinian or antisemitic slogans.
Authorities confirmed that the suspect, an adult male, was detained at the scene. Initial reports of multiple shooters were later corrected by police, who said there was no ongoing danger to the public. “We’re dealing with the facts and the information that we gather,” said New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley. “Once we get that facts and information, and have an actual motive that we can share, we’ll certainly do that.”
Tom Bartelson, a guest at his nephew’s wedding, described the scene as “all chaos,” saying he heard the shooter yell both “The children are safe” and “Free Palestine.” Guests dropped to the ground and scrambled for cover as gunfire interrupted the celebration. “We heard about six shots and everybody ducked for cover,” Bartelson recalled. “We were trying to keep family members safe.”
Family members of some guests said they were still searching for loved ones in the aftermath. One woman told local media that her son had been shot and separated from his family during the panic. Another witness described seeing a masked gunman in black clothing raising his weapon before firing.
The Anti-Defamation League’s New England office said it was in touch with law enforcement and monitoring the incident, noting that it fit a troubling pattern of politically charged violence. “We are aware of reports of a shooting in Nashua, NH and that the police have a suspect in custody,” the group said in a statement on X, adding that its Center on Extremism was tracking developments.
The Nashua attack follows several high-profile acts of violence in recent weeks. Less than two weeks ago, U.S. right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated, and a month earlier, a Catholic school in Minnesota was targeted in a shooting. Over the past year, law enforcement officials have noted an uptick in attacks where perpetrators allegedly shouted or wrote “Free Palestine” or other extremist slogans.
Just months earlier, a couple in Washington, D.C. was shot by a gunman who reportedly yelled “Free Palestine” as he opened fire. That attack, which left both victims critically injured, is also being investigated as a potential politically motivated crime.
Saturday’s incident has left the Nashua community shaken. “I think the message for every community is that no matter how unlikely it seems, it can happen where you live,” said Mayor Jim Donchess.
Nashua police and state officials have pledged a full investigation, with federal agencies also expected to assist in determining whether the shooting was tied to extremist ideology.
