Man dead after Halifax shooting

A 21-year-old man was killed in a late-night shooting at a Halifax public housing complex.

Halifax Regional Police were called to the city's north end just before 11 p.m. Thursday and found the victim on the pavement outside a building in the Mulgrave Park public housing complex. He was suffering from a chest wound.

The victim died in hospital Friday morning.

Police said they are investigating the matter as a homicide. They are still looking for suspects.

An eyewitness to the incident said she saw the mother of the victim running to the area behind Grenada Terrace, one of the low buildings that make up the housing complex, on Thursday night.

Neighbours say the man is the latest victim in a growing problem of drug-related crime and violence.

"Until the last couple of years I haven't had too many worries," said Erika Hebblethwaite, who has lived in the neighbourhood for ten years. "We've had two shootings in the last week... It can be a little nerve-wracking wondering what's going on."

Mothers in the area say the shooting has mobilized them to take back their community and find more outlets for children and young people in the area.

"If we're sending them out to the wolves, the wolves got 'em," said Liz Jackson, a grandmother and resident. "We need to decide what we're going to do. Either live with the crime and the things that are happening to our children... or arm ourselves with knowledge to be able to fight this the right way."

Jackson said parents should open their homes to create safe havens for children, to keep them from trouble on the streets.

Some residents say young people in Mulgrave Park are being influenced by forces from outside their community.

"A lot of the problems in the past while have been brought to this community," said Elaine Williams. "It makes this community look bad, but we are not bad people. This community needs some help to get it back to where it was."