Dad shoots and kills mom, wounds mom's father; 7-year-old son left motherless (Manchester, New Hampshire)

Mom was getting a divorce, and had just obtained a temporary restraining order and custody of their 7-year-old son. Dad JONATHAN CHARBONNEAU was not to have visitation until a hearing could be held "after the holidays." He was also supposed to surrender his hunting rifle (which obviously didn't happen. Who is supposed to follow up on these things? Anybody?). But the main problem is this: after Dad was arrested on a domestic abuse complaint, he was almost immediately out of jail on bail. So when Mom and her father went to the family home to collect some of her belongings, they were ambushed as they came in, even though Dad "wasn't suppose to be in the house." WHY THE HELL DO THEY GIVE THESE GUYS BAIL?

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Woman+slain%2C+father+wounded%2C+the+shooter+is+dead&articleId=e7be83fe-a2d6-486a-b4d9-a120cbf7dacd

Woman slain, father wounded, the shooter is dead
By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
6 hours, 4 minutes ago

MANCHESTER – A young mother who obtained a restraining order against her husband Wednesday was shot to death Thursday afternoon. Her spouse ambushed her as she walked into her home. Her father was also shot by the husband, who subsequently killed himself.

The violence erupted about 2 p.m. The following chronology was compiled from interviews with friends and neighbors yesterday afternoon; law enforcement authorities officially confirmed the major details in a press release last night.

Friends and neighbors said Melissa Charbonneau, 29, went to her 223 Jewett St. house with her father to collect some of her belongings.

Inside, she encountered her husband, Jonathan Charbonneau Sr., 32. He ran down the stairs and shot her three times in the stomach with a hunting rifle. Melissa's father, John Cantin, 57, lifted his daughter in his arms and began walking out the front door when Charbonneau shot him twice in the back.

Wounded, the father dropped his daughter on the front porch, then half-crawled, half-walked into the street while Charbonneau fired one more round into his wife's neck, friends and neighbors said.

Meanwhile, the woman's father stumbled down the street -- asking people to "call the cops" -- until he collapsed on a lawn at Hayward and Jewett streets directly across from Hallsville School.
"I saw John (the father) falling down here and I put my shirt over him and pressed it to his wounds," said Dakota Chabot, a close friend of the couple. Police said last night that Cantin's injuries are not life-threatening.

As he lay there wounded, Chabot said the father told him and his friend Steve Pierce what happened.

"They went to the house to get something. He (Jonathan Charbonneau) wasn't supposed to be in the house," Pierce said.

"He (Charbonneau) shot Missy first and the father told me he tried to get her out of the house," Pierce continued. That is when the father said Charbonneau shot him, Pierce added.

A stand-off quickly ensued between police and Jonathan Charbonneau, who reportedly left 223 Jewett St. and at least initially holed up at 105 Prout Ave. where he had been staying with friends since a Manchester District Court judge ordered he stay at least 100 yards from his wife.

Police recovered Melissa's body from the porch at 223 Jewett St. using an armored vehicle for cover.

Heavily-armed members of the department's Special Reaction Team later took up positions along Jewett Street as officers made several appeals over a bullhorn to the gunman to surrender. A State Police helicopter began making long, low sweeps over the neighborhood about 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, police blocked several blocks surrounding 223 Jewett St. and 105 Prout Ave. and evacuated people inside nearby homes.

The stand-off continued six hours before police cleared the scene about 8:05 p.m. It was not known at that time if Charbonneau had been taken into custody. His suicide was officially announced two hours later.

Jonathan Charbonneau, who worked as a self-employed contractor, was in Manchester District Court Wednesday for a simple domestic assault charge against his wife and for allegedly having prescription medication not in its proper container, friends and neighbors said. He was ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from his wife and to surrender his hunting rifle, court records show. The temporary restraining order also awarded his wife custody of their minor child and denied him any visitation rights until a hearing was held.

"He was devastated he wouldn't be able to see his kids until after the holidays. He lost it after that," friend and neighbor Wendy Waisman, 37, said.

Charbonneau moved in with neighbor Kandi Corbett at 105 Prout Ave to comply with the restraining order, friends said.

David Brisson, 43, who knew Charbonneau and recently helped him put a new roof on a neighbor's house, described Charbonneau as a "drug addict" and "very hyper kid." "As far as I'm concerned, it was drugs that did it," he added.

Neighbors said Melissa Charbonneau was supposed to return to the house to gather her things with a police escort. Instead, she went with her father.

Melissa and Jonathan Charbonneau married two to three years ago and were seeking a divorce. They have a 7-year-old son, who is a first grader at Hallsville School. School officials delayed the release of students at Hallsville and several surrounding schools until police were sure all was safe.

Jonathan Charbonneau also has two children by a previous marriage.

Chris Mendonca, 18, of 105 Prout Ave., said the Charbonneaus were "always wicked nice to their kids. They were really loving parents. But when he gets angry, he gets violent." Mendonca said it was common to hear the couple argue.

Melissa Charbonneau worked in the medical field and impressed neighbors with her outgoing, friendly manner.

"She had a solid heart. She thought of everybody else," Mendonca said.

He described the petite blonde as "very young, very pretty. All the kids on the street looked at her."

Autopsies will be performed on Melissa and Jonathan Charbonneau by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine their exact causes of death.

- - - - - - -
The Manchester Police Department posted the following press release at 10:02 p.m. last night:

On Thursday, October 22, 2009, at approximately 2:03 p.m., Manchester police officers responded to a report of shots being fired at 223 Jewett Street in Manchester. When the police arrived in the area they had contact with John Cantin (age 57). Cantin was located in the street and was suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital where he is undergoing treatment for non-life threatening gunshot wounds.

A deceased female was also discovered at the scene and she was identified as Melissa Charbonneau (age 29). Charbonneau is John Cantin’s daughter.

Based on information received from John Cantin and other sources, the police learned that Melissa Charbonneau and John Cantin had been shot by Melissa’s husband, Jonathan Charbonneau (age 32).

After an extensive search of the area, John Charbonneau was located inside the 223 Jewett Street residence, the victim of a apparent suicide. Autopsies will be performed on Melissa and Jonathan Charbonneau by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine their exact causes of death.

At the time of this incident, Jonathan Charbonneau was out on bail in connection with a domestic abuse complaint filed by Melissa Charbonneau on October 20, 2009. As a result of that complaint, Jonathan Charbonneau was charged with simple assault and released on bail.

The investigation is still ongoing.