Seabrook Man Won’t Face Homicide Charge In November 2021 Shooting

CONCORD, NH — A man from Seabrook who shot another man and claimed self-defense will not face a homicide charge but a felon in possession of a weapon charge will be legally pursued, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

Garrito Fort, 37, of Seabrook admitted to shooting and killing Christopher Coletti, 35, in self-defense inside a Seacoast home on Nov. 1, 2021. The shooting occurred in a home near Lafayette Road. Neighbors, around 9:15 a.m., reported hearing at least two shots fired from the residence. A perimeter was set up around the Market Basket on Lafayette Road and SWAT teams began searching for people involved in the case. Police ultimately arrested Fort around 90 minutes later on a felon in possession of a dangerous weapon charge.

Since that time, the state has investigated the case, including a “review of numerous witness interviews” and “an examination of physical and electronic evidence recovered from the scene of the incident,” Benjamin Agati, a senior assistant attorney general, said. This led to the determination not to charge Fort with murder because the state would be “unable to disprove Mr. Fort’s claim of self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.” Agati said, “Instead, Mr. Fort has been charged with the felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm at the time of the shooting incident contrary to RSA 159:3.”

ALSO READ:

• Shooting In Seabrook Still Under Investigation: Video
• One Killed, One Injured During Seabrook Shooting: Update

A few weeks after the Seabrook shooting, Fort was also charged with first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threatening-deadly weapon, and criminal threatening against a person with a deadly weapon, all felonies, based on an Oct. 7, 2021, incident in Seabrook. That case, Agati said, occurred in the same home as the shooting.

Agati said investigators have given the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office all of their files related to Fort to prosecute the active charges. Due to the active charges, the department will not be releasing the full report regarding the death of Coletti, he said.

“When Mr. Fort’s current legal proceedings have concluded, the attorney general’s office will issue its full report on the investigation into Mr. Coletti’s death,” Agati said.

Fort, according to superior court records, has a bail hearing on March 3 in Rockingham County Superior Court on all of his active charges.

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

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.