NASHUA, N.H. — Family members of a man killed in a shooting at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, over the weekend are speaking out as the suspected gunman prepares to appear in court via video on Monday afternoon.
Hunter Nadeau, 23, a former employee of the club, allegedly entered Prime Steakhouse on Saturday night and shot the manager in the face before opening fire on others inside the restaurant. He faces a reckless second-degree murder charge.
Among the victims was Robert DeCesare, who was dining with his wife, Charlene, and their daughter, Makayla.
Speaking with Boston 25 News on Monday morning, Charlene recounted the horrifying moment when the alleged shooter opened fire.
She said her husband stood with his hands in the air as Nadeau opened fire. She fell under the table while Michaela kicked open an emergency door to escape.
Witnesses told Charlene it appeared Robert was shielding his family from bullets.
“Knowing Robert, his goal was to save people,” she said.
Charlene also told Boston 25 that Makayla found a gun on the ground in the midst of the chaos and tossed it onto the restaurant’s balcony. It’s not clear if it’s the one that was used in the shooting.
Robert was beloved by many people, according to his wife.
“You’d be hard pressed to find a man more loved, not only by his family but by his many groups of friends from golf, poker, and pickleball. I cannot say enough how grateful I am for the outpouring of support from our friends and community,” Charlene said. “The people of Sky Meadow have been beyond amazing, and exactly why we moved here. The stellar kindness and professionalism from everyone I have interacted with at Nashua PD and the AG have also been so appreciated.”
Robert’s mother, Evie, spoke to reporters, expressing the family’s grief.
“His wife is very much in shock because not only did she witness a brutal act, but he’s not coming home. My granddaughter is not going to have her dad walk her down the aisle in November,” Evie said.
Evie added, “Unfortunately, my granddaughter and daughter-in-law saw it all. I’m repeating their words. They saw him come in and shoot the manager. Then they heard a couple more shots. Rob got up, turned around, and was going to go at him, and he went down. They were under the table and saw his legs and the blood, and they ran for their life.”
Makayla was set to be married in five weeks.
One witness claimed Nadeau shouted “Free Palestine” during the incident, though Charlene said she did not hear him speak inside the restaurant and believes any statements were made while he was leaving.
Jolene Knisell was at the restaurant when the shooting happened.
“I heard someone scream, and somebody else shouted, ‘There’s a gun,’ and everybody just sort of started running,” Knisell said. “We ran up onto the golf course until we heard someone say, ‘Get off the course.’ We tried to hide in a few different places. We heard all of the sirens; it was chaos, absolute chaos.”
In addition to the manager and Robert DeCesare, a third person was shot. Their condition remains unknown.
Authorities say additional charges against Nadeau are likely.
Nadeau is due to appear in court at 1 p.m.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
