CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, N.L. — An armed man shot two people dead at a strip mall in eastern Newfoundland before taking his own life at a cemetery in what police said Wednesday was a double-murder suicide.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary initially said a 35-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man were killed Tuesday night after shots were fired at a doctor’s office at the Villa Nova Plaza in Conception Bay South, about 25 kilometres southwest of St. John’s.
But Const. Talia Murphy said later Wednesday there was information to suggest the woman was shot inside the clinic, while the man was shot in the parking lot.
The body of a 43-year-old man, who police believe was responsible for the shootings, was found Wednesday in a cemetery on Kenmount Road in the capital city.
Murphy said police had information suggesting the shooter and the woman who was killed were involved in a romantic relationship in the past.
“We do not believe there is a public safety concern at this time,” Murphy said. “This wasn’t a random act of violence. These individuals were known to each other, and the investigation into the motivation behind this is still ongoing.”
Police said they recovered a handgun believed to be used in the incident, but released few other details.
The nature of the relationship between the man and woman killed at the plaza was not disclosed.
“At this time, out of respect for the family, we’re only giving out limited information,” said Murphy.