Investigators in New Hampshire are intensively probing for answers as to why a man shot and killed a security guard at the New Hampshire Hospital, a psychiatric facility, before being fatally shot by a state police trooper. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon, leaving authorities and the community in shock.

According to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, the gunman has been identified as 33-year-old John Madore. He entered the hospital and targeted Bradley Haas, a security officer with the state Department of Safety who was stationed at the front lobby entrance. Both Haas and Madore were pronounced dead at the scene, their cause of death determined to be multiple gunshot wounds.

Madore had a previous history of assault charges, although these had been dismissed, as per court records from 2016. It was noted that he had been ordered to be transported from the hospital for a court hearing. Madore had been residing in a hotel in the Seacoast region and had also lived in Concord.

During the investigation, police discovered that Madore was armed with a 9mm pistol and had additional ammunition at the time of the shooting. In addition, an AR-style rifle, a tactical vest, and several ammunition magazines were found in a U-Haul truck parked in the hospital's parking lot, prompting authorities to investigate any potential connections between the truck and Madore.

The shooting took place at around 3:30 p.m. and remained confined to the hospital's front lobby. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, Haas succumbed to his injuries and was later pronounced dead at Concord Hospital.

At the time of the shooting, the facility had 152 occupied patient beds, according to a daily patient census report by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The New Hampshire Hospital is the only state-run psychiatric hospital for adults in the state.

Speaking about the incident, Attorney General Formella expressed the need for a thorough investigation into Madore's background and motivation, noting, "We have a lot of work to do to really figure out who this man was, why he might have done what he did, what led up to this incident." He also mentioned that the family of Bradley Haas has requested privacy during this difficult time.

Bradley Haas, who resided in Franklin and had served as a police officer for 28 years, rising to the rank of police chief, was mourned by New Hampshire House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm. Wilhelm extended condolences to Haas' colleagues, staff, and volunteers at the hospital, acknowledging their efforts to continue critical care for mental health patients despite the tragedy.

This shooting adds to a distressing trend of violence in hospitals across the United States. Medical centers nationwide have struggled to adapt to the growing threats and make provision for increased security measures. The incident follows a mass shooting that occurred in neighboring Maine weeks ago, resulting in the deaths of 18 people and injuring 13 others.

As the investigation progresses, authorities hope to uncover the motives behind this tragic incident and gain a deeper understanding of the events leading up to the shooting.