Police have identified the victim of Monday's homicide outside a Halifax mall as&nbsp;16-year-old Ahmad Maher Al Marrach.

Officers were called to the scene at&nbsp;a parking lot next to&nbsp;the Halifax Shopping Centre just after 5 p.m. on Monday.&nbsp;The injured teen was taken to hospital, where he died.

Halifax Regional Police said Tuesday they have&nbsp;released two youths who were&nbsp;arrested on a Halifax Transit bus in the area of&nbsp;North Street about 20 minutes after the initial call. Neither has been charged in the case.

Police have not said how&nbsp;Al Marrach&nbsp;died.

Ummah Masjid&nbsp;and Community Centre said on Facebook that a funeral prayer would be held Wednesday afternoon at a Halifax-area mosque, followed by a burial.

"Please pray for the family, his loved ones and all our youth as it's a devastating loss for all in the community,"&nbsp;reads the online post.

Al Marrach, a student at Citadel High School, moved&nbsp;to Canada eight years&nbsp;ago as a Syrian refugee.&nbsp;

In an email to the school community on Tuesday, Citadel principal&nbsp;Joe Morrison offered his condolences to the student's family, whom he said gave him permission to share the news.

"Please join us in honouring the student who lost their life this week and hold their family in your thoughts," said Morrison.

He said supports were being made available at the school, including counselors, a psychologist and support staff.

"We know it's important to talk during times of grief and sadness. I assure you that we are ready and available to support any student who needs to connect," he said.

The youth's death was also acknowledged by Halifax Mayor Mike Savage on Tuesday. He held a moment of silence at the beginning of council's regional meeting.

"We'll be thinking of the family of the young man who was killed yesterday in Halifax," he said just before councillors and members of the public&nbsp;bowed their heads and stood in silence for a few minutes.

Police are asking anyone with information or video from the area to call them at&nbsp;902-490-5020.&nbsp;

Food prices are stabilizing, but Nova Scotians are still feeling pinched

Food price inflation is easing, but community groups across Nova Scotia are scrambling to meet growing demand for help from people who aren’t feeling any relief on their grocery bills.

A man with a brown sweater wearing a silver bracelet is being handed a head of broccoli through a window. 

Community partnerships are what make the market capable of offering fresh produce at more affordable rates. 

Mobile Food Market

A shopper buying fresh produce from the Mobile Food Market, a Halifax non-profit that sells groceries 20 to 30 per cent below most grocery stores. The organization says it has doubled its capacity in the past 18 months.

Small group speaks up for fishery at offshore wind open house in Cape Breton

Only a few members of Nova Scotia's fishing industry attended an open house Monday evening about the coming offshore wind industry in the province. But many of those who visited the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre spoke in favour of the fishery, while also supporting the proposed new entry into renewable energies.

Seven people sit in chairs talking to each other while a slide projector on the wall shows windmills and the words Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia.

Only about 15 people attended an open house Monday night in Port Hawkesbury, N.S., to get information and provide feedback on the coming offshore wind farm industry in Nova Scotia.

Offshore wind open house Port Hawkesbury

Two people dead after separate crashes in Cumberland County

Nova Scotia RCMP are investigating two separate fatal crashes that happened on highways in Cumberland County on Monday.

The side of an RCMP cruiser that says 'police.'

The RCMP is investigating an abandoned, burned vehicle on MacLean Rd in Pictou County with human remains. 

RCMP car police cruiser crime 6155

The crashes happened on Highway 104 in Upper Nappan and Highway 2 in Mapleton.

Online claims about flesh-eating disease in Yarmouth inaccurate, says N.S. Health

A social media post about flesh-eating disease at Yarmouth Regional Hospital contained inaccuracies and has caused "unnecessary public concern", according to Nova Scotia Health. 

A red brick building is shown with trees in the foreground and a sign on the front that says Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

Ginny and Jeffery Killam were both treated at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

Yarmouth Regional Hospital

Nova Scotia Health says there has been an investigation into one case of an invasive group A strep infection involving flesh-eating disease in the western health zone. 

Union says burnout to blame for frequent Halifax ferry cancellations

The union representing transit workers in the Halifax-area says burnout and a lack of relief staff are leading to frequent cancellations of ferry crossings between Halifax and Dartmouth.

A blue and yellow Halifax Transit ferry crosses the Halifax harbour on a sunny day.

A Halifax Transit ferry crosses the Halifax Harbour.

Woodside ferry halifax transit ferry

The union representing Halifax Transit workers says staffing shortages and burnout are leading to frequent ferry crossing cancellations.

Halifax Regional Police responded to a report of an injured person in the parking lot at Halifax Shopping Centre just after 5 p.m. local time on Monday.

Police identify 16-year-old victim of homicide near Halifax mall

Supports being offered at school

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