Dover, NH: Police: Shooting at Dover home was suicide

By Aaron Sanborn
asanborn@fosters.com
Saturday, March 13, 2010

DOVER — Police say the death of an adult man at a Central Avenue home Wednesday morning was a suicide that took place during a violent domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend.

Lt. Dave Terlemezian said police were called to a single-family residence near Wentworth-Douglass Hospital on Central Avenue at 7:25 a.m., for a report of a man who shot himself in the head. The man, a 37-year-old from Manchester, was taken to the nearby hospital and pronounced dead shortly after 9 a.m.

Terlemezian said police investigated the death and determined there was no foul play. However, it was learned that the man had shown up unannounced at the residence, which belonged to his ex-girlfriend.

The couple had been separated for months, but the resident's ex-boyfriend continued to make contact with her, according to Terlemezian.

"He had been exhibiting stalking behavior, which included showing up unannounced and uninvited at her home and workplace," he said.

Terlemezian said the man was waiting at the house when his ex-girlfriend returned home from dropping her children off at school. When she walked in he pointed a .22 caliber rifle at her and ordered her up the stairs, according to Terlemezian.

While upstairs, the man fired a round into a ceiling and then threatened to harm himself with the gun. Terlemezian said the girlfriend tried to grab the gun from the man in hopes of trying to prevent him from shooting himself.

But her ex-boyfriend fought her off and "brought the gun to the side of his head and shot himself," Terlemezian said.

Police later searched the man's car, which was in the hospital's parking garage, in a location that let him see his ex-girlfriend's home, according to Terlemezian.

Terlemezian said anyone who thinks they're being stalked should contact police to prevent things from escalating. The Dover Police Department can be reached at 742-4646 and is online at www.ci.dover.nh.us.