Friends, relatives and former colleagues celebrated Bradley Haas, who was killed in a hospital shooting earlier this month.
A celebration of life was held Monday for New Hampshire Hospital security officer Bradley Haas, who was shot to death on Nov. 17 in the facility's lobby.
Friends and loved ones gathered at Winnisquam Regional High School in Tilton to remember Haas. The event was hosted by his family and open to the public.
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Gov. Chris Sununu attended the ceremony and offered some kind words, as did some of Haas' fellow law enforcement officers.
"It's important to me to be here and for my colleagues to be here, to recognize that while we spend our lives in the service of others, few of us actually have to give them in the service of others," said New Hampshire State Police Capt. Brendan Davey. "We want to honor his sacrifice in every way."
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All flags on public buildings and grounds in New Hampshire were also lowered to half staff from sunrise to sunset on Monday in recognition of the funeral services for Haas.
A vigil for Haas was held in Concord a week ago to mourn the loss of Haas, support the hospital's staff and patients and recognize the courage of first responders. About 1,000 people attended.
Haas served in the Army and then worked at the Franklin Police Department for nearly three decades before retiring as police chief and coming to work at the hospital.
Authorities are still investigating what led to the shooting. They say 33-year-old John Madore entered New Hampshire Hospital in Concord around 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 and killed Haas, a state Department of Safety security officer who was working at the front lobby entrance. The gunman was then shot and killed by a state trooper assigned to the hospital.
The shooter had a 9 mm pistol and ammunition when he shot and killed Haas. In addition to the pistol, police found an AR-style rifle, a tactical vest and several ammunition magazines in a U-Haul truck in the hospital's parking lot that he had rented. According to court records, he was not allowed to have guns, ammunition or any other dangerous weapons following an arrest in 2016.
At that time, police seized an assault-style rifle and 9 mm handgun from him. He was arrested in Strafford on assault and reckless conduct charges, was later involuntarily admitted at New Hampshire Hospital, according to records. The charges were dismissed in 2017 following a competency evaluation that remains sealed.
The weapons ban against the New Hampshire Hospital gunman was part of bail orders unsealed by a judge last week following a request by the New Hampshire Bulletin.
It remains unclear how the shooter, who had most recently lived in a hotel in New Hampshire's Seacoast area, acquired the guns found on Nov. 17. If he had tried to buy them, he would have been required to note his hospitalization at a mental health institution when filling out a federal firearms application.
