NASHUA, N.H. — Hunter Nadeau allegedly told police he had been in his Nashua apartment all day on Sept. 20 when he “suddenly had a feeling that he wanted to kill himself.”

An affidavit from the Nashua Police Department goes on to state that Nadeau then grabbed his .380-caliber Glock 42 pistol, two extra magazines of ammunition, a knife, and a bag containing a change of clothes before leaving his home to carry out what would become a deadly shooting at Nashua’s Sky Meadow Country Club.

The affidavit — unsealed on Feb. 23 by Judge Andrew Schulman in Hillsboro Superior Court Southern District — lays out what investigators said happened before, during, and after the attack and the motive Nadeau allegedly described to police, including a desire to punish the “elites.”

Surveillance video captured Nadeau, who was 23 at the time, entering the club at 7:17 p.m., wearing a black hooded jacket, glasses, and a green backpack.

The affidavit states he walked toward the club’s restaurant, Prime at Sky Meadow, where he put on a face mask, pulled out a handgun and fired shots at employee Steve Burtman, the food and beverage manager who was stationed at the front desk outside the restaurant.

Burtman, a Chelmsford native and Lowell resident, was struck in the face by the gunfire and fell to the ground.

From there, the affidavit said, Nadeau entered through the doors of the restaurant and opened fire at multiple patrons.

One of those patrons, 59‑year‑old Robert Steven DeCesare, of Nashua, was killed, while Brianna Surette, of Lynn, was wounded.

“Nadeau 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 states.

After responding to the scene, police found Nadeau in the area of the club’s golf course, bleeding from “apparent self-inflicted incised wounds to his arms and wrists.”

He is alleged to have told police he was a “bad guy.”

Nadeau was detained without incident and taken to a hospital for treatment, where he willingly spoke to police about the incident.

According to the affidavit, Nadeau immediately identified himself as the shooter. He told police that although he initially left home intending to kill himself, he then decided “to also punish the wealthy because they were not helping the poor, stating that he was tired of the ‘elites’ taking all the money.”

He said he chose the Sky Meadow Country Club because he had worked there about a year earlier as a server and “knew that you had to have money to have a membership there.”

According to the affidavit, Nadeau said he deliberately avoided the wedding taking place on the property because he did not want to target “civilians,” and instead entered the restaurant because “he knew that it was members-only and that wealthy people dined there.”

Inside, he said he “just started shooting.”

“He was not targeting a specific person but did not care whether he killed someone or not and knew that if he shot in a crowded restaurant he could kill someone,” the affidavit said.

He is also alleged to have said he was unsure how many rounds he fired. He remembered being tackled from behind and said he left his gun behind in the restaurant when he fled.

Nadeau also told police he “ditched his backpack in the woods, walked out on the golf course and slit his wrists hoping to die.”

He further stated that he had written a note describing his intentions in a composition book left in his apartment, told no one about his plan, and did not discuss it on social media.

He confirmed he was the only shooter and that the firearm was the only one he possessed.

Nadeau, who was 23 at the time of the shooting and turned 24 in January, was indicted by a grand jury on alternative counts of purposeful first-degree murder and reckless second-degree murder for the death of DeCesare, who was dining with family when he was gunned down.

Nadeau also faces two counts of attempted murder — one for allegedly shooting Burtman, and another for allegedly firing on a group of patrons.

Additionally, he is charged with two counts of first-degree assault for “purposely causing bodily injury” to Burtman and Surette.

Nadeau remains jailed while the charges against him are pending.

As for Burtman, he continues to recover.

In a Jan. 31 update posted to a GoFundMe page supporting his recovery, Burtman shared that he had undergone another small procedure and reached some milestones in his treatment.

“They removed the scaffolding from my head!!! Hooray!” he wrote, adding that he was finally able to sleep on both sides again.

He said doctors also “removed the jaw splint and all the wiring in my mouth,” leaving his gums sore and his teeth no longer aligned, though further dental repair will take place once “my jaw bone is healed and ready.”

“I still smile pretty — just not as pretty as before,” he said.

In addition to the written update, the GoFundMe page included a recent photo of Burtman with a wrestling-style championship belt slung over his shoulder and a smile on his face.

To date, the campaign has raised $182,579 toward its $200,000 goal.

Individuals in emotional distress or contemplating suicide are urged to seek assistance. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 in Massachusetts, providing free and confidential support. Contact the lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visiting 988lifeline.org for online chat services.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.