In the late evening of June 28, 2022, a tragic encounter in a Rite-Aid parking lot on Elm Street in Manchester, New Hampshire, resulted in the death of 22-year-old Isaac Landry. The White male died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. An investigation by the Attorney General's Office and the Manchester Police Department concluded that the shooter acted in self-defense, and as a result, no criminal charges were filed.
The incident began when Jonathan Bright, 34, and a friend were in
the pharmacy parking lot next to Bright's rental car. They were unexpectedly confronted by Landry, who was yelling and brandishing a large tree branch. According to reports, Landry charged at the two men. Bright, who was legally carrying a handgun, began to retreat, repeatedly telling Landry to stop. Despite the warnings, Landry continued to advance aggressively toward Bright. Fearing for his life, Bright fired his weapon once, striking Landry in the chest.
Immediately after the shooting, it was Jonathan Bright who called 911 to report the incident and urgently requested an ambulance. When police arrived, Bright surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody without incident. Investigators found Landry on the ground, unresponsive with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The Chief Medical Examiner later determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the chest and the manner of death a homicide, which is a medical-legal term defined as the killing of one person by another and does not necessarily imply criminal intent.
The subsequent investigation into the suspicious death involved witness interviews, a review of physical evidence, and video surveillance. The Attorney General's final report, released in July 2023, detailed the circumstances and concluded that Bright was justified in using deadly force. The report noted that Bright believed he was going to be killed by Landry. It was also revealed that Landry had a history of mental health challenges, which may have contributed to his actions that night. His parents indicated that while he had no formal diagnosis, they believed he had several conditions and had been hospitalized on a couple of occasions due to his illness. The investigation officially concluded that no charges would be brought against Jonathan Bright for the death of Isaac Landry.
