Neighbours in a Dartmouth neighbourhood describe hearing four to six gunshots ring out Monday night, as Halifax Regional Police continue to look for two suspects in the city’s latest homicide.
Officers were called to Ancona Place — in the Montebello subdivision — at around 9 p.m. and found a man who had been shot outside a residence, according to police.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a Tuesday update, police identified the victim as Cortrell Thomas, 37. They said they did not believe the shooting was random.
A neighbour, who didn’t want to give their name, told Global News the loud sound of gunfire was extremely frightening.
“At first I thought those were fireworks, but I quickly realized that those were gunshots. And I was too scared to even look out outside the house and see what’s happening so I started crouching on the floor,” they said.
A resident across the street, who also didn’t want to be named, said they saw the victim on the house’s front step and he “didn’t move at all.”
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Police said they are still looking for two suspects last seen leaving Ancona Place through the PO2 Craig Blake Memorial Park after the gunshots rang out.
Neighbour Haley Duchaine said she saw the two men fleeing the scene.
“They were wearing grey sweaters, their hoods were up so I couldn’t see their face,” she said.
“They were also wearing dark-coloured pants and they were both pretty tall.”
Police are asking anyone with footage from the area — including Capistrano Drive, Appian Way and Casavechia Court — to contact them if they haven’t already spoken with an officer.
The shooting is the latest incident of gunfire in the city.
On March 27, a morning shooting near the Armdale Rotary in Halifax left a man with serious injuries.
As well, three people were injured March 24 after a late-night shooting on Ruben Court in Dartmouth.
On social media, Coun. Tony Mancini — whose district includes both Ancona Place and Ruben Court — said he was “deeply saddened by the violence that has shaken our community once again.”
He urged anyone with information about the incident to speak with police.
“Tomorrow I will be attending the Board of Police Commission meeting and will be discussing these violent acts and sharing that our communities are very concerned,” he added.
Ghislain Desainde, who lives on Ancona Place, said it’s unsettling the crime took place in the neighbourhood.
“It was just last week we were saying how good of a neighbourhood we had, so now it make you wonder, you know?” said Desainde.
“It’s a good neighbourhood. Everybody around this end of the neighbourhood, we help each other all the time.”
Duchaine agreed, and said it’s unnerving to think violent crime is on the rise in the area.
“This is the kind of place people raise their children so it’s definitely a little concerning that it seems to be on the uptick,” she said.
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