48-year-old man in custody as police investigate Salter Place homicide: RNC

A 48-year-old man is in police custody after officers responded to reports of a shooting on Salter Place in St. John's on Thursday.

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Const. James Cadigan says police responded to the report around 10:40 a.m. NT, and found 30-year-old Terry Griffin in a home with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound. 

In a news conference on Friday, Cadigan told reporters the province's chief medical examiner had deemed Griffin's death a homicide. 

"It was determined in the early stages of the response that this event was targeted," said Cadigan. 

Griffin was pronounced dead shortly after police arrived. Police continued their investigation and called a shelter-in-place order for the area as they searched for suspects.

The order remained in place for about two hours while officers in tactical gear, canines and drones searched the area. 

Eventually, police located the suspect on Gros Morne Place — a street on the opposite side of Columbus Drive, a busy four-lane roadway. 

Cadigan said that shortly after 11:15 a.m., the suspect was contained by police. 

The suspect remains in custody, but on charges from a previous event in which Griffin was also the victim, said Cadigan. The man was charged with uttering threats and assault with a weapon. 

The suspect has not been charged with homicide as the investigation continues, he said.

Police are asking for video footage from dash cameras, cell phones, or security cameras in the neighbourhood.

"Any information or suspicious activity should be reported to the RNC and any detail can be valuable in this investigation," said Cadigan. "Every detail is important."

Cadigan says the shelter-in-place order was crucial for police to do their job. 

"Public safety is our priority," said Cadigan.

"By issuing a shelter-in-place, it's actually promoting our ability to investigate without impediment and to limit the amount of activity around these officers as they conduct their work."

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