Store owner shocked after customer told him 'I just killed a man'

The owner of a Halifax convenience store says he was shocked after a man entered his business Tuesday afternoon and seemingly confessed to killing someone.

Mostafa Khallaf was working alone and was on the phone with his father when the incident happened.

"He came in around three o'clock ... he said exactly, 'Can you call the police? I just killed a man,'" Khallaf, who runs Nova Grocery on Clyde Street, told CBC News on Wednesday evening.

Khallaf said the man was a regular customer. He seemed "very calm" during their interaction.

Khallaf called 911 and asked the man to step outside. The operator told him to keep an eye on him, so he followed him out.

"When I left my place behind the counter and I went outside, I saw blood dripping from his hand, so I knew it was something serious," he said.

A customer showed up and Khallaf went back in to assist them. When he returned, the man was gone.

Police showed up shortly after and Khallaf led them to Morris Street, where the man lived. Nova Grocery was closed for several hours Tuesday as police investigated what happened.

This incident happened at around the same time police responded to a weapons complaint in the area. Halifax Regional Police are currently investigating the suspicious death of a 61-year-old man. A 71-year-old man was also injured.

Police said Tuesday they were not looking for a suspect in this case.

Wednesday evening, Halifax Regional Police would not confirm if the suspicious death was related to what occurred at Khallaf's store.

"At this time the matter is still under investigation and I cannot confirm specifics about it," a spokesperson said in an email.