New Hampshire woman and her 18-month-old daughter shot dead; father found dead near bank of Merrimack River

A man fatally shot a woman, their 18-month-old daughter, and injured another child before being found dead hours later of a suicide on the bank of the Merrimack River, New Hampshire officials said .

The man, Jamie Bell, 42, was seen fleeing a home in Franklin on Saturday afternoon, New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General Adam Woods said at an evening news conference. Neighbors said they heard gunshots.

Police arrived at the home to find Nicole Hughes, 35, and Ariella Bell, her daughter with Jamie Bell, shot dead, Woods said.

Woods said Hughes and Jamie Bell were “intimate partners”. He did not provide any further details about their relationship.

Hughes’ 5-year-old daughter, from another relationship, was shot in the arm and cut in the back, Woods said. She was transported to a Massachusetts hospital. His injuries were not considered life threatening.

Police spent several hours searching for Bell, initially identified as a person of interest, on foot and by helicopter.

During the search, police warned residents to stay inside as Bell was suspected of being armed and dangerous, CBS Boston reported.

“Just make sure we close right away and keep the kids away from the windows and everyone else,” neighbor Kimberly Michaels told the station. “My heart goes out to the family.”

Sunday’s autopsies confirmed Hughes and his daughter were killed and Jamie Bell died of a single self-inflicted neck wound and his manner of death was suicide, CBS Boston reported.