Wedding Shooting Drama: New Hampshire Man's Sanity Questioned in Court

 


In a New Hampshire courtroom, jurors sided with prosecutors, affirming that Dale Holloway, 41, acted with sanity when he approached a wedding and shot the bride and a bishop, with guests thwarting his intentions. Despite being convicted of attempted murder for shooting Bishop Stanley Choate, Holloway was acquitted of attempting to kill the bride, Claire McMullen, yet found guilty on other charges, including first-degree assault.

The 2019 shooting at New England Pentecostal Ministries in Pelham occurred almost two weeks after Brandon Castiglione shot and killed Holloway's stepfather, Luis Garcia. Holloway, who represented himself, claimed insanity during the church shooting, emphasizing his bitter feelings over his stepfather's death. Holloway alleged that loved ones were planning a celebration of Garcia's life on the same day as McMullen's wedding to Castiglione's father, interpreting the bishop's and groom's actions as disrespectful.

During the trial, Holloway asserted hearing voices and battling demons, including Satan, playing his rap music for jurors to emphasize his mental state. His mother, Patricia Garcia, testified about his challenging upbringing in a violent neighborhood.

Holloway's defense included a video featuring Luis Garcia preaching with Tupac Shakur's music, which Holloway said contributed to his emotional state. He also presented a forensic psychologist's preliminary diagnosis of PTSD and paranoid personality disorder, though experts suggested he exaggerated his mental health symptoms. State expert Shannon Bader diagnosed him with antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder but asserted that his actions were not solely prompted by mental illness.

Comments