Alleged shooter dead in incident that killed mother and child, injured 5-year-old

FRANKLIN, N.H. (WLNE) — New Hampshire authorities suspect a man shot and killed his female partner and their child before he died, WMUR News 9 reports.

Law enforcement officials also believe the man shot his partner’s 5-year-old daughter from another relationship, who is being treated at a Boston hospital.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said Franklin residents reported gunshots on Elkins Street at about 12:15 p.m. Saturday.

First responders found 35-year-old Nicole Hughes and her 1 1/2-year-old daughter, Ariella Bell, dead inside the Elkins Street home from what appeared to be gunshot wounds. In addition, Hughes’ older daughter was found suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to her right arm and a laceration on her back.

Investigators determined that 42-year-old Jamie Bell, who also lived in the Elkins Street home, was a potential suspect after he was seen fleeing the area on foot.

Police immediately began searching the area and once Bell was positively identified as the suspected shooter, law enforcement officers began an intensive search for him. This led to authorities asking for the public’s help in locating Bell by releasing his name and a photograph, initially identifying him as a person of interest.

Bell was later found dead on the bank of the Merrimack River in the area of River Road in Franklin with a wound to his neck, authorities said.