He was joyful, a snappy dresser and loved giving high-fives.
Eight-year-old Lee-Marion Cain — or Mar Mar as he was known — was also full of potential.
The young boy was killed earlier this week, in a brazen shooting in Dartmouth.
Despite his young age, Lee-Marion had already made a huge impression on his tight-knit Nova Scotia community of North Preston.
He was a Grade 3 student at Nelson Whynder Elementary School, where a memorial of teddy bears and notes continues to grow. Halifax Regional Centre for Education said the school will open Friday to offer support for students.
“He was a special sweet boy,” Juliette Thomas, a member of the Dalhousie Outreach Dental Clinic in the school, told Global News.
Thomas went on to say “Mar Mar” was always giving high-fives or hugs “with his big contagious smile, cool with swagger and best little outfits.”
The boy was recently crowned “king” at the community’s North Preston Day festivities. His confidence was clear in the photos of him in a red and black suit, sporting sunglasses, while riding in a convertible after his coronation.
“He died a king,” said Miranda Cain, a cousin and CEO of North Preston’s Future, a non-profit group.
Cain said it’s not just their family that is grieving — it feels like the whole community lost a child.
“We lost a big, very valuable person who would have contributed so much to our community had his life been spared.”
In an update on Wednesday, Halifax Regional Police said Lee-Marion was in a vehicle with a 26-year-old man when shots were fired at their vehicle in the area of Windmill Road and Waddell Avenue. The shooting happened at 4 p.m. — during rush hour — in the busy commercial and industrial area.
Lee-Marion died in hospital from his injuries, while the man was treated for non life-threatening injuries.
Police said the suspects were described as two Black men driving a burgundy SUV, possibly a Chevrolet, with tinted windows. Few other details were released, including whether the two vehicles were moving at the time.
Prayer vigil
On Thursday evening, an online prayer vigil was held — where faith leaders prayed for the family, for peace and for justice.
More than 400 participants took part in the vigil, as community members spoke of the importance of reaching out and getting help during this difficult time.
“We must find a way to heal our hearts and there is help available,” said Deacon Rose Fraser of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
“And that’s what we want to make known. There is help available we don’t have to suffer alone.”
Vigil organizers said a support line was set up in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began to offer mental health support to the African Nova Scotian community, and the counselling offered could be beneficial to anyone struggling with this tragedy.
The number to call is 1-855-732-1253 ext. 2.
“Sometimes what we tend to do as African Nova Scotians is we had a death, the death happens, the funeral takes place and we say we’re moving on. And often we move on in some sense but we don’t really move on,” said Fraser.
“What helps us is when we deal with our grief and move through the grief.”
During her interview with Global News earlier in the day, Cain echoed that need for support.
The community is in crisis, she said, and her concern now is what will happen in the days, weeks and months ahead.
“What can we do to prevent this type of thing from happening in the future? Who will be there to support our youth when they actually go to school and Mar Mar’s not in that chair? Who’s going to be there to support the mom when she’s grieving?” she asked.
“So if our country, our community, our province, our government would be able to just not forget about us, just know that we’re here and we’re a strong-knit community and we’re not bad. We’re not all bad. The majority of us are looking to have great positive change so that we can be together to make these changes happen.”
Cain said the last few days have been a blur for the community, but they’re drawing strength from their spiritual bonds and love for the young boy to help them through.
“He is King Mar Mar, and that’s how he should rest. He passed away royalty, so we’re putting royalty to rest,” she said.
— with a file from Alexa MacLean
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