Two shootings of women in Newfoundland town described as intimate partner violence

An RCMP logo is seen on the shoulder of a superintendent during a news conference in St. John's, N.L., on Saturday, June 24, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

ST. JOHN’S — The Mounties in central Newfoundland are investigating two cases of intimate partner violence following separate shootings of women last week in the community of Grand Falls-Windsor.

RCMP Supt. Paul Peddle told a news conference Tuesday that the shootings on April 8 and April 10 — one of which was fatal — were isolated incidents that involved men firing a gun at their partners.

Peddle described the crimes as “shocking acts of violence,” but he provided few new details of what may have happened, citing the need to protect the integrity of both investigations. When asked if police had previous dealings with either man, he declined to answer.

“We understand the anxiety and fear that these incidents cause in close-knit towns like ours,” said Peddle, the RCMP’s officer in charge of operational support services. “And we want everyone in Grand Falls-Windsor and the surrounding area to know how to get help when needed.”

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Investigators say that on the afternoon of April 8, a woman was injured by gunfire on Main Street and was taken to hospital in St. John’s, N.L., where she was listed in stable condition after receiving advanced medical care.

Peddle said a suspect was found dead a short time later near a vehicle, and a firearm was recovered from the scene, leading police to believe his death was not criminal in nature.

Two days later, at 4:45 a.m., RCMP were dispatched to a home of Crescent Heights, about three kilometres away, where a woman was found dead. The 52-year-old suspect in that case was arrested at the scene and has been charged with first-degree murder.


“At this time, we are categorizing both shootings as incidents of intimate partner violence, where the victim and suspect were known to each other,” Peddle said. “To protect the privacy of the victims in each of these incidents and their loved ones, we are not providing any further details that could identify them.”

The town, home to about 14,000 people, was once supported by a century-old newsprint mill that closed in 2009.

During the news conference, Peddle mentioned several times that the RCMP have a special unit that deals with cases of intimate partner violence in a sensitive, trauma-informed manner. And he encouraged anyone experiencing this type of violence to come forward to police.

“These incidents have sparked an important and frankly necessary conversation about the dangers of intimate partner violence,” he said.

“We appreciate that these incidents are in everybody’s minds. If you are experiencing intimate partner violence or you are concerned for a loved one, we are here to help …. We can work with you to make sure that action is taken and we connect you with the information and resources you need to be safe.”

At one point, Peddle said that during his 30 years serving as a Mountie, he’s had to investigate many cases of intimate partner violence.

“The unfortunate part is that a lot of the time, it’s a reactionary thing,” he said. “In a lot of cases, we have no previous history and, unfortunately, we arrive at the scene of a tragedy that we had no idea about. That’s the frustrating part about it.”

When asked if the local RCMP detachment had enough officers to handle the workload, Peddle described staffing levels as normal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2026.

— By Michael MacDonald in Halifax