April 5 (UPI) — New Hampshire authorities on Sunday said a man who had earlier wounded a police officer in a gunfire exchange has died following a brief manhunt and a shelter-in-place order.
Matthew Masse, 38, was found dead after being pursued by police into a wooded area of Raymond, N.H., located about 20 miles east of Manchester, N.H., Attorney General John Formella said in a statement.
Masse had been the subject of a manhunt after allegedly shooting and injuring a Nottingham, N.H., Police Department officer at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Police had responded to an address on Ham Road on a report that Masse had fired a long gun at family members.
The man fled on foot after allegedly inflicting non-life-threatening injuries on one of the responding officers, Formella said. The incident triggered a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding area as police went off in pursuit of Masse.
About nine hours later, authorities again encountered him, this time in a wooded area where gunfire was again exchanged.
“Following that exchange, Mr. Masse was found deceased by officers when they approached his location,” the attorney general said, adding that an autopsy is scheduled for early this week to determine “his cause and manner of death.”
Masse’s mother told WMUR-TV that her son suffers from severe mental health issues, adding that he began shooting at family members with a high-powered rifle when they went to check on him on Saturday.
The mother said that the visit came after suspicious fire was started in her home.
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