Candles on the steps of City Hall during a vigil held in remembrance of Robert DeCesare. Courtesy photo

NASHUA — Robert DeCesare was having dinner with his family at Sky Meadow Country Club on Sept. 20 when Hunter Nadeau walked through the door and allegedly pulled out a gun.

Charlene DeCesare, his wife of 27 years, said they were with their daughter, Makayla, discussing her upcoming wedding. The family was only feet away when Nadeau entered the restaurant. Recognizing the immediate danger, DeCesare shielded his wife and daughter with his body, taking multiple bullets and saving their lives.

Originally from Salem, DeCesare was born on Nov. 12, 1965, according to his obituary. He was a “family member at his core” and enjoyed golf, pickleball and playing Yahtzee with his mother, Evie O’Rourke.

“He is a hero,” said Sky Meadow owner Robert Parsons. “To the DeCesare family, there are no words to express the pain and sorrow you and our community are feeling over Robert’s murder. This was the heinous act of a coward who will be held to account for what he did.”

Parsons also vowed that the tragedy will not define his establishment going forward.

Dozens of residents gathered at City Hall for a vigil to remember the heroism of Robert DeCesare and others during the shooting at Sky Meadow Country Club. Courtesy photo

“Sky Meadow is a safe, tight-knit community, built on fellowship, compassion and resilience,” he said. “Those values have been on full display in the thousands of messages of support we have received. The safety, security and wellbeing of our members, guests and staff are our highest priority.”

For Alderman-at-Large Melbourne Moran and his family, the “fear and shock of violence” was too close for comfort.

Although they were ultimately false, initial eyewitness reports indicated that a second shooter was at large somewhere on the pitch black 18-hole golf course. As direct abutters of Sky Meadow, Moran and his wife, Lisa, decided to remain in their home on Lamb Road rather than wake up their three young daughters and leave.

Owners of Wanderlust Therapeutic Services, the Morans are offering free crisis counseling and grief support.

“Whether you are experiencing grief, fear, or simply need someone to talk to privately, we are here for you,” the Morans said in a statement. “We denounce all forms of gun violence and stand in gratitude to the Nashua Police Department, the Nashua Fire Department and all first responders who rushed into danger. Nashua is a safe, resilient and caring city — a place where we are proud to raise our families, run our business and share in community life.”

Robert DeCesare, 59, of Nashua, was killed on the evening of Sept. 20 while protecting his wife and daughter from gunman Hunter Nadeau at Sky Meadow Country Club. Courtesy photo

The Morans also reinforced their commitment to overcoming such brutality.

“When violence touches Nashua, Wanderlust stands with Nashua,” they said.

During the Sept. 23 Board of Aldermen meeting, Mayor James Donchess said that while the tragedy is deeply saddening, the spirit and resilience of Nashua will not falter.

“We have a very safe community here,” he said.

Donchess also lauded the Police Department, Nashua Fire Rescue and the Department of Emergency Management for their herculean efforts as many of those individuals remained at Sky Meadow until 2 a.m.

“The people who were working on this were incredibly effective and incredibly dedicated,” he said. “We owe a real debt of gratitude to all of them.”

Ward 4 Alderman Thomas Lopez said the responsiveness shown by the first responders is the result of tireless efforts from the Mayor’s Office.

“Under Mayor Donchess’ leadership, we’ve had a plan and we’ve been prepared,” he said.

Lopez also said the incident underscores the need for additional mental health support and funding.

Ward 2 Alderman Richard Dowd was relieved that the incident did not escalate any further.

“You never think this will happen here in Nashua and now it has,” he said in a Facebook post. “Thank God our first responders train for this and handled it well. From all accounts, it could have been far worse. We should thank the man who hit the gunman with a chair. He may have saved a lot of lives.”

A GoFundMe page for DeCesare’s family has been set up at gofundme.com/f/rob-decesare.

The city is also sharing the following resources:

-American Red Cross: 1-855-891-7325

-New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point: 1-833-710-6477

-Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990

-Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988

Candles on the steps of City Hall during a vigil held in remembrance of Robert DeCesare. Courtesy photo