Woman Injured During Deadly N.H. Country Club Shooting Speaks Out About Mental Toll of the Tragedy: 'It’s Surreal' By Raven Brunner

A woman injured during a deadly shooting at a country club in New Hampshire is opening up about the mental toll of the tragedy.

Brianna Surette was with her husband Doug at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua on Sept. 20 when a gunman fired several shots. The couple had gotten married at the venue five years and one day prior to the incident.

Club manager Steven Burtman and Brianna were injured, and 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare was killed in the shooting.

Brianna shared an emotional message on Facebook on Sunday, Sept. 28, which included a photo of her sipping a drink and looking out the window at the venue. “This was the last photo Doug took of me before our world turned dark. We wanted to watch the beautiful sunset that we took photos in front of five years prior,” she captioned the post. 

“You always think ‘what would you do?’ in a situation that you only see on the news. And let me be the first to tell you, you have no clue. Scared, confused, adrenaline rushing. It’s surreal,” Brianna continued. 

She then revealed that her husband “covered me, risking his own life” during the incident. “Then he went into first responder mode. Keeping me safe but also helping others. I’ve never felt so connected to him. I’ve never felt so much love for a place full of strangers. I want to hug each of them to let them know, we are all safe now,” Brianna wrote.

“We will all get through this, together,” Brianna emphasized. 

“I don’t know the whys. But I do know, I cannot control other’s behavior. I can only control that this event will not ruin me or Doug’s lives. We just want to say thank you to everyone who has been reaching out, sending items, and just allowing us to take our time through this,” she concluded. 

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Brianna and Doug previously released a joint statement on Thursday, Sept. 26, per local outlet WCVB.

“The Surette Family would like to send our deepest condolences to Rob DeCesare’s family and wish them comfort during their unimaginable loss. We also are sending our prayers to Steve Burtman and his family on his recovery, as well as [everyone] else who experienced this, we are with you,” the statement read. 

The couple continued, “5 years ago, and 1 day before September 20, 2025, we celebrated our wedding at Sky Meadow Country Club. We never imagined our beautiful memories from that day would be hit with such a tragic event.”

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As for Brianna’s recovery, the statement added, “Although Brianna’s physical injuries will heal, the mental toll will take time, so we respectfully wish for privacy at this time as we try and navigate back into a new normal.”

On Sept. 20, officers responded to reports of a man who entered the Sky Meadow Country Club and “fired several gunshots,” killing one man and injuring several others, Attorney General John Formella said in a New Hampshire Department of Justice (NHDJO) press release at the time.

“The suspected shooter was detained on-scene by Nashua police officers,” the NHDJO confirmed.

Formella and Nashua Police Department Chief Kevin Rourke announced in an updated news release on Sept. 21 that Hunter Nadeau, 23, was arrested in connection with the incident.

Nadeau has been accused of fatally shooting DeCesare with a handgun despite there being “no known connection” between them. He also allegedly “shot and wounded” two other adults, per the press release.

Nadeau has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder for DeCesare’s death, the NHDJO said in a Sept. 22 news release. His next scheduled court date will be on Oct. 1.