An 11-year-old New Hampshire boy is accused of gunning down two people, killing one of them, New England Cable News reports.
The shooting occurred Friday in the town of Alton, New Hampshire, about 95 miles north of Boston.
Lizette Eckert, 50, was found dead of a gunshot wound after authorities received a 911 call around 7:30 a.m. Friday. Her husband, James Eckert, 48, also was wounded by a gunshot, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.
James Eckert has been hospitalized and is in critical condition.
NH AG's office confirms 50 y-o woman, Lizette Eckert was killed, 48 y-o James Eckert was shot & wounded in Alton, NH. Police took 11 year-old into custody at property where victims were found. @kristinaRex w latest information @WBZ News at 11 pic.twitter.com/lQNdtQTVat
— Lisa Hughes (@LisaWBZ) March 15, 2019
Police arrested the boy around 9:30 a.m. Friday. He has been charged as a juvenile with one count of reckless second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, according to Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward.
There is no threat to the general public, officials said, adding that some information about the case cannot be disclosed because of the suspect’s age. The precise nature of the relationship between the suspect and the adults has not been released.
The couple had moved with their three children from Maine several years ago, CBS Boston reports. They reportedly lived on a family farm and have one daughter and two sons, whom they home-schooled.
Nearby schools were put on lockdown while police were searching for the suspect.
“As a precautionary measure we have activated a secure campus,” Alton Central School Principal John MacArthur wrote in an email. “Nobody is permitted in or out of the buliding until we are given an all clear.”
At about 9:45 a.m., New Hampshire State Police tweeted that the “critical incident” had been resolved and that schools would no longer be under lockdown.
To report information about the case, call New Hampshire State Police at 603-223-4381.
[Feature Photo: Lizette Eckert/Facebook]
