Authorities identified the victim as 15-year-old Wichai Saksene, a Lowell High School freshman.
SALEM, N.H. — A 15-year-old Massachusetts boy found dead outside a Salem home early Friday was shot once in the chest, and his death has been ruled a homicide, New Hampshire authorities said.
Attorney General John M. Formella’s office identified the teenager as Wichai Saksene. Lowell Public Schools said Wichai was a freshman at Lowell High School. The finding moved the case from a suspicious death investigation into a homicide inquiry, with state and local investigators working to determine what happened outside the Orchard Terrace residence.
Police were sent to Orchard Terrace before dawn Friday after a 911 caller directed officers to a home there, authorities said. When officers arrived, they found Wichai’s body just outside the home. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later conducted an autopsy. Prosecutors said the autopsy found that Wichai died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. “The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are now under active investigation,” Formella’s office said.
Authorities have not said who made the 911 call, who owns or lives at the home, or why Wichai was in Salem. They also have not released a possible motive. Nicholas Chong Yen, a senior assistant attorney general, said no arrests had been made as of Friday night. Prosecutors said there was no known threat to the public because all known parties had been identified.
The case drew attention on both sides of the state line because the victim was a Massachusetts student and the shooting happened in Salem, a southern New Hampshire town near the border. Lowell High School, where Wichai was enrolled, serves one of the largest school communities in the Merrimack Valley. School officials confirmed his enrollment but did not release further details Friday night.
The investigation is being handled by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Salem police and state investigators. Officials said more information would be released when possible, while protecting the integrity of the case. No court date, suspect name or charging decision had been announced.
As of Saturday, June 20, the homicide investigation remained active. The next public update is expected from New Hampshire prosecutors when investigators are ready to release more details.
Author note: Last updated June 20, 2026.