AG Identifies Woman Found Dead After Reported Gunshots And Fire At Derry, NH Home

DERRY, N.H. (CBS) -- A woman is dead and a man has life-threatening injuries after a house fire in Derry, New Hampshire, the Deputy Attorney General announced Monday. Gunshots were reportedly heard before the home went up in flames.

When the police and fire department responded to the Mt. Pleasant Street home around 10 p.m. Sunday night, officers found 57-year-old Manoel Viana unconscious and were able to drag him out of the house. He was rushed to a Boston hospital with critical injuries.

Due to smoke and fire conditions, officers were unable to go back into the home. After the fire was put out, they found a woman, identified as 53-year-old Lynn Marie Viana, dead. An autopsy will determine her the cause and manner of her death.

Police believe they were married.

"Currently, the circumstances surrounding Ms. Viana's death have been deemed suspicious," Assistant Attorney General Scott Chase said.

While rescuing Mr. Viana from the home, three Derry Police Officers, Officer Nathan Lavoie, Officer Collin Kennedy, and Officer Nikita Tomnyuk, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. All three were treated and released from the hospital, the Deputy AG said. They will return to work as scheduled.

Authorities do not believe there is a threat to the public at this time.

Anyone with information about Manoel Viana's whereabouts on Sunday is asked to call Lieutenant Jon Breen of the Derry Police Department at 603-432-6111. Police are also looking for any security camera footage from around the neighborhood that may have captured some of the incident.

Mt. Pleasant Street was closed overnight into Monday afternoon.

"I saw all the trucks coming in from down here, from the other street. (It) felt just very quick, felt like 6-to-8 trucks, you're thinking is it going to carry on to the next house? It terrifies me, I don't know, it's just so close to home," resident Lisa Poirier told reporters.

"Just the whole adrenaline, it's scary. You just don't know if it's someone that you know."