Police 'know shot man'

Police believe they know who the man found dead with a gunshot wound in Palmerston North yesterday is.

Police said today he was a 32-year-old Palmerston North man, but a formal identification was yet to be carried out.

The man was found dead with a gunshot wound in the grounds of a Heretaunga Street flat about 3.40pm.

The firearm, believed to have been used to kill him, was found by his side.

Since the body was found, police had been speaking to a man following information that there had been an altercation between the pair at a nearby flat yesterday.

"A focus at the moment is to build a clearer picture about that altercation and assess it relevance or otherwise to death. We are also looking to get a better understanding of the relationship between the two men," Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan said.

Police were still speaking to residents and the scene was still cordoned off and was being examined by forensic scientists from Environment Science and Research as well as a gun specialist.

Police hoped the man's body would be removed from the scene later today and a formal identification would be carried out. A post mortem will be held in Wellington tomorrow.

Police expect this investigation to last at least two days.

- NZPA