MANCHESTER, NH –Police have arrested two men in the area of Dunbarton and Hackett Hill roads who were allegedly in possession of long rifles and handguns. The arrests were made Dec. 17 following a search of the nearby woods for an “active shooter” near Bemis Road in Hooksett, on the Manchester city line.
Seamus Rodriguez, 19, of Manchester and Anthony Zappala, 23, of Merrimack, were charged with felony reckless conduct.
Chief David Mara said police are still investigating what the two were doing in the woods with guns. Several cars were hit with bullets in the parking lot of Poultry Products on the Manchester/Hooksett line, and the building was hit as well, which prompted the call to police.
“Regardless of why they were out there, they were acting recklessly,” Mara said, during a brief news conference Wednesday afternoon at police headquarters.
He added that given the nearby residential areas and busy nature of Front Street, with plenty of businesses and traffic, the situation could certainly have played out differently. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Manchester Police responded at about 12:45 p.m. to Hooksett for a call from Hooksett Police requesting an assist with an “active shooter” situation near the Poultry Products plant on Bemis Street, near the Manchester line.
Within a short time, Manchester Police Sgt. Brian O’Keefe updated that information, saying it was a “fluid” situation and the search had shifted to a “totally different” area, and the plan for a police command center at Bass Pro Shop was suspended.
As a result, Front Street north at 293 was shut down briefly, as well as Front Street south, from the Bass Pro Shop while police were searching a wooded area near Hackett Hill.
Members of the Manchester Police SWAT team responded to the area and followed the sound of the gunfire until they found Rodriguez and Zappala, and the weapons.