Police say man believed to have killed two people had AK-47, body armour

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says a man believed to be responsible for a double-murder before committing suicide this week was armed with an assault rifle when his body was found at a cemetery in St. John’s.

Police say when they found the body of Brian Dawe in a vehicle, he was wearing body armour and in possession of a 9-mm handgun, an AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The 43-year-old was lawfully in possession of the weapons, but police say the ammunition clips were above the legal capacity and considered prohibited.

Additional weapons were also taken from Dawe’s home, but police have not yet completed an inventory of them.

A 35-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man were killed Tuesday night after shots were fired at the Villa Nova Plaza in Conception Bay South, about 25 kilometres southwest of St. John’s.

Const. Talia Murphy has said police have information suggesting the shooter and the woman who was killed were involved in a romantic relationship in the past.

The woman was shot inside a medical clinic, while the man was shot in the parking lot. Police have said they believe a handgun was used in the deaths at the plaza.

Officers were called to the plaza around 7 p.m. after a report of gunshots fired. The area was cordoned off, businesses were shut down and residents were advised to stay inside their homes as police searched for the shooter.