The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary say they’ve arrested a man wanted in connection with three shootings in the Conception Bay South area Thursday.
This is a breaking news story. A previous version appears below
An armed man is on the loose and police are telling people in Conception Bay South to shelter in place after at least two people were injured in three separate shootings Thursday.
In an emergency alert, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said they’re searching for 31-year-old Matthew Jeremy Fowler.
He’s 6′ 5″, 200 lbs and has tattoos around his neck. Fowler has dark hair and brown eyes, and police say he’s driving a black Subaru Legacy, licence plate JFH 710.
Police are “advising the community to shelter in place (remain in your residence, work or indoors), with entrances secured, while police search for the suspect.”
The NLESD has placed all schools on the northeast Avalon Peninsula that hadn’t already dismissed for the day in secure mode.
“Students and staff will remain in secure mode until further notice,” said the school board in a tweet.
“Please know students and staff are safely together in order to limit movement and allow first responders to do their important work. We will provide further updates as available,” reads the post.
No one is allowed in or out of the schools, and the NLESD is asking parents not to go to the schools to pick up their children.
Memorial University said it’s asking people to stay inside and limit movement, but has not locked its main entrances.
The City of St. John’s has closed all of its facilities, and Metrobus is pulling its buses off the road.
Paradise has closed its facilities.
!ALERT #2!<br>On the advice of police, all schools on the NORTH EAST AVALON who have not yet dismissed for the day are being told to immediately go into SECURE SCHOOL MODE.<br>Students and staff will remain in secure mode until further notice.<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/nlschools?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#nlschools</a> <a href=”https://t.co/2jP1P6lwQQ”>https://t.co/2jP1P6lwQQ</a>
—@NLESDCA
The alert, issued at 1:39 p.m., came less than two hours after the RNC posted a series of tweets about a pair of shootings in the town.
Police previously said two men had been seriously wounded in separate shootings — one on Uplands Road in the Chamberlains area of town, the other about seven kilometres away on Greeleytown Road in the Foxtrap neighbourhood.
Both men are in hospital. In the alert, police referred to three shootings but did not say if more people had been injured.
The RNC said they believe the shootings are targeted.
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