Jamie Bell Obituary, Death – At their home on Saturday, a man fatally shot his toddler daughter and her mother and wounded a 5-year-old child before fleeing and later being discovered dead of an apparent suicide on the bank of the Merrimack River, according to law enforcement officials. Police conducted a thorough search after a large-scale hunt for Jamie Bell, 42, who had fled the site of the shootings at this residence on Elkins Street. According to Adam Woods, assistant attorney general for New Hampshire, the 5-year-old daughter was rushed to a hospital in Massachusetts with injuries that were not considered life-threatening on Saturday evening outside the Franklin Police Station.
The 5-year-old daughter of Ms. Hughes was also shot by Mr. Bell, who is thought to have intended to murder her as well, according to the man. The homicide investigation is still ongoing, he added. 20 miles north of Concord, in this city, Bell and the victims were living when the violence broke out, according to Woods. No apparent reason was given. According to Woods, after nearby residents reported hearing gunshots in the vicinity of 124 Elkins St., police were sent to the neighborhood, which is located about a half mile south of Franklin’s downtown.
Nicole Hughes and her 1-and-a-half-year-old daughter Ariella Bell were found dead with gunshot wounds when police arrived, according to Woods. He stated that Hughes was about 35 years old. According to Woods, Hughes’ 5-year-old daughter, whose name was withheld, was discovered with a gunshot wound to her arm and a cut on her back. According to Hughes, the girl is his child from a previous relationship. Police conducted a search of the region after identifying Jamie Bell as a person of interest in their deaths. The authorities warned locals to stay inside their houses after describing Bell as armed and dangerous.
According to Woods, his corpse was discovered on the Merrimack River bank near River Street at about 5:30 p.m. At the time, it seemed as though he had bled from his neck, according to Woods. At this moment, it looks that he died from a self-inflicted cut or incised wound on his neck, though an autopsy is expected for [Sunday] morning. The presence of a firearm was not confirmed by the authorities. On Saturday night, a Franklin police vehicle was parked at the intersection of Grove Street and Elkins Street, blocking it off. A State Police major crimes truck was parked outside a duplex home where troopers and policemen appeared to be concentrating their attention.
David Goldstein, the chief of police in Franklin, reiterated that there is no danger to the general public. Countless police officers crowded the area Saturday afternoon as they ran up and down Elkins Street, which was closed to traffic as the incident took place, according to neighbors who watched from their homes. Some of the officers were armed with long rifles. A neighbor informed Norma Smith’s family that an armed man was on the loose just around the corner from their home, according to Smith, 61.
Shortly after, a sizable State Police car arrived into their driveway, and policemen wearing tactical gear got out and started walking toward Elkins Street, which the woman claimed made her feel comforted. Smith remarked, “My God, it felt good when that truck was in my yard.” Owen, 12, Smith’s grandson, said he never imagined such a thing happening close to his home. He admitted, “I was afraid. “I’ve always thought this neighborhood was very welcoming.”