SPRAGUE — The state's medical examiner said a man found shot Thursday night in the front yard of his Sprague home was the victim of a homicide.

Police said they found Steven J. Devost, 31, in front of his home at 1 Bay St. after responding to a report of a disturbance there shortly before midnight on Thursday. He had sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds, police said.

The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Tuesday said Devost died of gunshot wounds to his torso and upper extremities, and called the death a homicide.

State police said the killing remains under investigation, and no arrests have been made in connection with the case. Police said Friday that there is no threat to the public.

Records from Norwich Superior Court show that in October 2015, Devost was sentenced after being found guilty in April of that year on a felony second-degree assault charge dating to a Jan. 11, 2014 arrest by Norwich police.

Devost was sentenced to five years in jail, with the execution of the sentence suspended, and was placed on probation for three years. Records show a probation review was disposed of on Sept. 15 and the probation was continued.

Devost's slaying is the first homicide in Sprague in decades, according to officials in town. It comes amid a string of killings in Eastern Connecticut in the past two weeks, including a shooting death Dec. 9 in New London, and fatal stabbings Dec. 10 and Sunday, also in New London.

Anyone with information about the killing in Sprague is asked to call detectives at Troop E at (860) 896-3230 or text TIP711 with any information to 274637. All calls or texts will remain confidential.