East Kingston Man Accused Of Pointing Gun At Staff, Patrons Of Exeter Pub

EXETER, NH — A man from East Kingston was arraigned and held on preventive detention on Tuesday accused of threatening people in an Exeter bar.

Ricky A. Gagne, 49, faces four felony counts of criminal threatening with a deadly weapon after being accused of pointing a Beretta .40 caliber pistol at employees and patrons at Shooter’s Pub in Exeter on Friday.

According to police, officers were sent to the establishment around 11 p.m. after receiving calls about a threat incident. When they arrived, they found a staffer pinning Gagne to the ground. Police handcuffed him and investigated the incident.

Witnesses said Gagne entered the pub just before closing, looking for his credit card, according to a report. After an employee told him they didn’t have his card, Gagne said he would check the bathroom, according to police. Other people at the bar were laughing about something that had nothing to do with Gagne and he turned and said, if they thought the situation was funny, maybe he would go to his truck and get his firearm, police said.

Gagne was accused of leaving Shooter’s and then, a short time later, reappearing with a black pistol. Witnesses accused him of putting a round in the chamber and walking toward the entrance.

“As he opened the door, a witness alleged that Gagne then lifted the pistol up toward the others,” Chief Stephan Poulin said. “An employee pushed the door into Gagne and then pushed him. The two fell to the ground, at which point Gagne dropped the gun and a struggle ensued.”

The gun was removed from Gagne’s reach as the employee held him down, he said.

Gagne, who resides in East Kingston, was arrested and held without bail. He was arraigned in Rockingham County Superior Court. Gagne will be evaluated later by the county for a pretrial release program, Poulin said.

“This was a very dangerous and frightening situation for those who were inside the establishment at the time,” he said. “We’re extremely thankful that no one was hurt during the incident.”

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Exeter Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

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