Peterborough shooting death classified as homicide

The death of Peterborough resident Jack Hutchings, 24, has been ruled a homicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The death of Peterborough resident Jack Hutchings, 24, has been ruled a homicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. State authorities said Friday that he died Sunday evening from multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigators continue to examine whether the shooting may have involved self-defense or defense of others. The case remains open, and officials said the circumstances are still being reviewed.

According to the attorney general’s office, a 911 call was made around 8 p.m. Sunday after a dispute broke out between two neighbors outside their homes. Witnesses interviewed by the attorney general’s office and the New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes Unit said the off-duty Peterborough police officer connected to the case, Douglas MacPherson, was outside his home with his young children when the incident happened.

MacPherson, who owns the Grove Street property where the shooting took place, was treated for stab and incised wounds and was later released from the hospital. By Thursday, Peterborough police said he had not yet returned to work.

Authorities have said everyone involved in the shooting has been identified and is cooperating with investigators, but they have not released the name of the shooter.