Officials say, John Madore, 33, entered the lobby of a psychiatric hospital in Concord, N.H., armed with a 9-millimeter handgun, and shot security officer and former Franklin police chief Bradley Haas to death before being shot and killed by a state trooper on Friday. The authorities have not said whether Madore was connected to a U-Haul in the hospital parking lot with an AR-style rifle, tactical vest, and several magazines of ammunition inside. Court records show his life was marked by bouts of severe mental illness, thoughts of suicide, hospitalizations, jail sentences, and absconding while on bail. Court records don’t show whether his bail conditions ever restricted his access to firearms, the New Hampshire Bulletin reports.
The New Hampshire Gun Violence Prevention Coalition called for tighter gun regulations. “Gun violence is here in the Granite State and we need to take meaningful action to prevent and deter future tragedy,” said Sen. Debra Altschiller, who is expected to reintroduce bills that failed, including tightening gun laws, such as allowing the courts to take a person’s guns temporarily if their mental health poses a danger to others. The authorities have not said what brought Madore to the state hospital Friday armed with a handgun and extra ammunition. On Monday afternoon, state officials and staff from the National Alliance On Mental Illness held a candlelight vigil near the hospital grounds to remember Haas and support hospital staff and patients.
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