While the investigation is still in its early stages, Halifax Regional Police say they don’t believe a Monday night shooting in Halifax’s south end was “random.”
At around 7:30 p.m., a woman was shot through the window of a private residence on Tower Terrace.
Police placed evidence markers on the road outside the home and canvassed the neighbourhood, while the woman was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life threatening facial injuries.
Her current condition is being protected as private health information, but Const. John MacLeod said investigators don’t believe she was shot by accident.
“Those specific details will come out, I’m sure this process will make it into court proceedings, but the information they’ve gathered so far during the investigation has led them to believe that they don’t think it’s a random event,” he told Global News on Tuesday.
The incident brings the number of shootings this year in Halifax to 27. Altogether, those shootings resulted in 10 victims and one homicide.
READ MORE: Woman being taken to hospital after she being shot through window in south-end Halifax
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The scene was cleared by Tuesday morning, leaving no trace of the incident apart from what appeared to be a bullet hole at the 5800 address. That property is listed on Airbnb, and while three individuals went in and out of the house, none agreed to an interview.
One of them confirmed, however, that he was in charge of repairing the window.
Neighbours interviewed by Global News say they’re surprised to hear a shooting took place in what they describe as a quiet and peaceful community.
“I was pretty shocked, it doesn’t seem like a neighbourhood where that would happen. Also just Canada in general and Halifax seems like a pretty safe place, so it’s pretty unexpected,” said Zinta Upitas, who lives around the corner on Wellington Street.
“It’s a little concerning,” added Claire Minnie, who was found some comfort in the police’s belief the incident wasn’t random.
“But I’m a little nervous that there’s people with guns around. I didn’t think there was a lot of gun violence in Halifax.”
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Over the next few days, MacLeod said police will door-knock in search of witnesses and any information that could lead to the identification of a possible suspect, including security and cellphone footage.
No weapon has been retrieved, and he said forensic investigators will scour the property for any evidence that will help them piece together what happened.
“No piece of information is too small,” MacLeod explained. “It may be very relevant or it may be something that becomes relevant later on in the case. What we’re looking for is any information that may have happened around that area, whether it’s just persons that were coming or going, or information you have about the area.”
In the meantime, Anthony Jones told Global News he’s been reassuring all his tenants that the neighbourhood is safe. The superintendent said he started getting inquiries about the shooting on Tuesday morning from residents of the Halifax student housing building around the corner from Tower Terrace.
“I reassured them that it had nothing to do with our building and they were safe,” he said. “We’ve never had any issues like that that I’m aware of. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of somebody shooting a bullet through a window.”
Police are asking anyone with information on the Monday night shooting to call them at 902-490-5020, or send an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
With files from Graeme Benjamin
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