A 31-year-old Concord man has been charged with the murder of his 19-year-old half-brother last month, the New Hampshire Attorney General and Concord Police announced.
Jesse James Sullivan is facing alternate counts of second-degree murder for knowingly and recklessly causing the death of Zackary Sullivan by shooting him, authorities said in a statement. Sullivan is also accused of falsifying physical evidence for discarding the handgun that was used in the Jan. 16 incident.
On Jan. 16, Concord Police responded to a reported shooting near the Dunkin Donuts on Manchester Street. Officers arriving about 7:11 p.m. discovered Zackary Sullivan suffering from a single gunshot wound to the neck. He died at Concord Hospital.
Police searched the area and Sullivan was taken into custody on unrelated charges in the early hours of Jan. 17.
The affidavit outlining evidence against Jesse Sullivan in the shooting case remains sealed at the request of the Attorney General’s Office.
Court records show Sullivan has a criminal record that includes more than two dozen arrests dating back to 2008, when he was 17 years old. He has previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a handgun, and assault while he was incarcerated, and among other crimes. He was also accused of domestic violence by two different people, including a family member, according to court records.
Sullivan had been released on parole at the time of the shooting.
At a vigil in Zackary’s memory last month, friends and family remembered him as dependable, driven and generous. A lifelong tinker and devout auto enthusiast who was eager to dive into the workforce, he started a mobile car detailing business last summer, which he then expanded to a brick-and-mortar location, according to his obituary. It opened on Jan. 1, just two weeks before his death.
“Anyone who had the honor of knowing Zackary knows how much his family and friends meant to him,” his obituary said. “There was never any question – if you needed something, Zackary was the one to call.”
Members of Zackary’s family, including his mother, attended the arraignment Tuesday afternoon. Printed on her t-shirt was a call for justice for Zackary.
