CENTRALIA — Centralia police detectives have found a “clear connection” between two early Sunday morning shootings, one of which was fatal.

According to Centralia Police Chief Brian Atchison, 27-year-old Qwinton Shackleford, of Centralia was found dead early Sunday morning off an alleyway in the 500 block of Haussler Street.

Authorities say he died from multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Shortly after Shackleford was found dead, Washington County authorities responded to a crash on Interstate 64, where they reportedly discovered a man suffering from gunshot wounds.

He was transported to the Washington County Hospital in Nashville before being transported to a St. Louis area hospital for treatment.

Atchison says they believe there is a clear connection between the two men and their gunshot wounds.

He says they are making significant progress in the investigation, but at this time he can’t release any other information about the connection between the two cases.

He does, however, believe the connection will become apparent as the investigation develops further.