Kathy Whitmore works at a local laundromat a few blocks from New Hampshire Hospital. She has put up a wall with lost socks from people in her community. It is a symbol of her appreciation to the people who she sees every week. She fears the small, mellow town she calls home changed last week.
New Hampshire Hospital, the state psychiatric facility where a gunman fatally shot a security guard Friday afternoon, is located on a sprawling campus of government buildings in the heart of the capital city.
It’s also on bordered by a densely populated residential neighborhood where, over the weekend, many were processing the tragedy that just unfolded in their backyard.
NHPR’s Gaby Lozada caught up with folks in the area on Sunday. Click "Listen" on the player above to hear their reflections.
A sign at the entrance of an organization that serves children right in front of New Hampshire Hospital. Jason Armstrong, who works at a church nearby, says his employer had a security assessment just this past week. "Our prayers are definitely with the victims and the family members and all those who work at the hospital," he said. "We're very grateful for their ministry to our community."
Gaby Lozada
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NHPR
Sarah Stewart lives less than a mile from the hospital. She says her mind was racing when she saw emergency vehicles and other first responders rushing through the area on Friday. She says she uses her car to express her political views, and the one about banning assault weapons is her favorite.
Gabriela Lozada is a Report for America corps member. Her focus is on Latinx community with original reporting done in Spanish for ¿Qué hay de Nuevo NH?.
One-term incumbent Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra is slated to square off against challenge Jillian Duclos in November's general election. They were the top-two vote getters in Tuesday's preliminary election.
New Hampshire Republicans are backing a bill that would limit how teachers could discuss the Constitution, LGBTQ+ issues, and the legal system. They named it the "Charlie Act" for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The Pease Development Authority released a memorandum Tuesday outlining the legal reasons for why it believes it must allow ICE to continue operating deportation-related flights out of Portsmouth International Airport.
“The show will start” in the state’s northeast and northwest corners by mid-October.
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