The murder victim, the man arrested this morning and a surviving shooting victim currently hospitalized and being treated for critical injuries, were all acquainted, Halifax County Sheriff Wes Tripp said this afternoon.

In a statement Tripp identified the murder victim as 23-year-old Daquinn Fernando Blount, a former Roanoke Rapids resident who was living in Georgia.

No one living at the Grant Drive residence where the murder occurred was harmed, the sheriff said.

He said in the statement while investigators have a clearer understanding of what happened this morning, they are waiting for confirmation on ballistic evidence before charges related to the murder are filed.

During investigation today, a narcotics search warrant was served at the residence by the narcotics division of the sheriff’s office.  

During the search of the property approximately 372 grams of marijuana, 10 dosage units of heroin, 84 dosage units of oxycodone and several items of drug paraphernalia were seized.

Based on that discovery, sheriff’s office narcotics agents arrested and charged Claude Luther Celestine, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, with possession with intent to sell/deliver marijuana, felony possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for a controlled substance and possession of heroin and common law obstruction for delaying and obstructing deputies as they conducted their investigation. Tripp declined elaboration at this point.

Celestine, who has no apparent ties to the area, received a $10,000 bond with an August 15 court date.

Tripp said as soon as the ballistics test comes back he would be able to go into more detail.