Gunman kills 2 at store in N.H.

A massive manhunt was launched after a gunman in fatigues opened fire yesterday in a military surplus store in Conway, N.H. , and fled into mountainous woods after killing two people and wounding a third, authorities said.

Residents were on edge through the day and evening, as police restricted movement, closing the main thoroughfare, Route 16, and urging residents to stay in their homes or workplaces while law enforcement officers searched the area with helicopters and canine teams.

Two people died at the scene, and a third was flown to Maine Medical Center in Portland and placed in a special care unit, authorities said.

Kristi Riley of Fryeburg, Maine, identified one of those killed as her former husband, James Walker, 34, of Conway, manager of the Army Barracks, where the shooting occurred.

"He hadn't had a day off in three weeks," she said in a telephone interview. "He was just working his job, and this happened to him."

Riley said she did not know why someone would shoot Walker or attack store personnel. They have two children, a 1-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, she said.

"My daughter is trying to deal with her daddy being gone," said Riley, adding that Walker had coached their daughter's softball team.

"He was a really good father," she said. "He was a fun-loving man. He did everything he could to be a good dad."

Authorities described the suspect as a white male in his mid- to late-20s with blond hair and a backpack. He was dressed in camouflage shorts, a light shirt, and baseball cap at the time of the shootings, said Ann Rice, associate attorney general.

"He may be in the area," Rice said, adding that he is believed to be armed.

The Associated Press reported that several people were taken into custody as the day wore on, but police would not confirm that last night.

Police received a report of a shooting about 9:40 a.m. after witnesses reported hearing shots at the Army Barracks, which a town official said usually opens at 10.

Residents at the Lamplighter Mobile Home Park, a 100-acre site less than a mile northeast of the store, were urged to stay indoors, as police searched for the suspect in a quarter-mile area of the park, which has about 240 residents, said maintenance worker Clifton Johnston.

"It was a ruckus here for a while," Johnston said in a telephone interview.

"At first, everybody was trying to be nosy to see what they were doing," he said. "There was way too much adrenaline going around."

Don Poulin, assistant manager of the New Hampshire State Liquor Store on Route 16, said police prohibited people from entering or leaving the store after the shootings.

By midafternoon, Poulin said, he was hungry and tired. The employees could not take their regular lunch hour.

"We were sort of worried, wondering what direction [the suspect was] headed or what direction they were going to go," Poulin said.

Janet Bullock -- who lives in Center Conway, a mile from the Army Barracks -- said she was headed to a mechanic to have her car inspected when a police officer stopped her from driving through town.

"The police cut me off right in front of my car," Bullock said. "I thought he was going to hit it."

With a suspect still on the loose, Bullock said, residents were concerned.

"Of course, we've got to look out, too," said Bullock, 63. "We're keeping an eye open everywhere we go around here. I know the police are doing as much as they can."

Last evening, a half-mile stretch of Route 16 near the store remained closed after 7:20 p.m.

Meanwhile, in Center Conway, life seemed to be returning to normal.

About 4 miles north of the shooting, tourists played in a park, ate ice cream, and shopped in outlet stores.

"We were a little worried when it first happened, and we called the police to see if we should do anything," said Katarina Prieberova, manager of Zeb's County Store in the heart of Conway.

"They said there was nothing to do. I am not trying to think about it, plus we'd lose a lot of money if more people knew. Conway is a tourist destination."

One of those tourists was Joe Harrington, 47, of Wakefield, Mass., who said he has visited Conway every Fourth of July weekend for the past 20 years.

Harrington only heard about the shootings about 6 p.m., while having a drink at a local bar. He does not plan to abandon his vacation because there is a gunman on the loose.

"I live 10 miles from Boston, so if you aren't willing to change your life there, why would I up here," Harrington said.

Nonetheless, the news bothered Mike Bajger, 53, a 30-year resident of Conway. "It freaked me right out," he said. "I haven't been fearful in the entire time I lived here, but I was today."

Even so, Bajger went to work, as did everyone else he knew.

"He was probably miles away, and he wasn't knocking on my door," Bajger said.

Globe correspondent James W. Pindell contributed to this report from North Conway, N.H. Material from the Associated Press was also used. April Simpson can be reached at asimpson@globe.com.