Hunter Nadeau, who has been charged with the shooting at Sky Meadow Country Club, will claim insanity when his case goes to trial. Courtesy photo/Nashua Police Department

NASHUA – Nearly one year after gunfire shattered an otherwise tranquil evening at Sky Meadow Country Club, legal counsel for alleged shooter Hunter Nadeau is planning to use the insanity defense to justify his actions.

On Sept. 14, Attorneys Wade Harwood and Eva Fourakis filed a Notice in Hillsborough Superior Court South claiming that their client “is not criminally responsible for that conduct because at the time, he was suffering a mental disease or defect and that mental disease or defect caused his actions.”

In February, Nashua Police Det. Derek Ibell released an affidavit stating that at 7:17 p.m. on Sept. 20, 2025, Nadeau put on a black surgical mask and stormed into Sky Meadow’s Prime Steakhouse. He was armed with a .380-caliber Glock, two additional magazines of ammunition and a knife.

During the rampage, Robert DeCesare of Nashua dove in front of his family and died in a hail of bullets, saving the lives of his wife and daughter. Sky Meadow employee Steven Burtman of Lowell, Mass. was shot in the face and Brianna Surette of Georgetown, Mass. was shot in the leg.

The shooting ended when a Good Samaritan, known only as Jeff, took it upon himself to fight back.

“I grabbed a stool by the legs and hit him over the head as hard as I possibly could,” he said during an interview with WHDH. “I didn’t want him to shoot anybody else.”

Nadeau dropped his weapon at that point.

“After (Nadeau) left the restaurant he ditched his backpack in the woods, walked out on the golf course and slit his wrists hoping to die,” said Ibell.

He was taken into custody 30 minutes later.

When interviewed by police, Nadeau said he chose Sky Meadow as he was a former employee and knew about its wealthy, members-only clientele.

“He decided to punish the wealthy because they were not helping the poor, he was tired of the ‘elites’ taking all the money,” said Ibell.

Nadeau remains in custody and is charged with purposeful first-degree murder, reckless second-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of first-degree assault.

The trial is expected to begin in June 2027. Under state law, if convicted, Nadeau could face up to life in prison.