'Gunplay gotta stop' in Uniacke Square, says brother of homicide victim
'I’m afraid that this person is going to come in and shoot somebody every time he wants to'
The younger brother of a Halifax homicide victim fears whoever is responsible for the crime will strike again if people don't speak up about what happened.
His brother, Phillip Izzard, said Thursday he believes it's just a matter of time before another life is taken.
"If the community don't step up and say something, then I'm afraid that this person is going to come in and shoot somebody every time he wants to," he said.
He believes there are witnesses to his brother's killing who will remain too afraid to talk until one of their own relatives is killed.
"Our community [isn't] safe as long as this is going to continue to happen," he said. "Who's going to be next? Some little kid. Some innocent kid. My brother was innocent."
'Didn't deserve to die like that'
Halifax police are still exploring the possibility Terrance Izzard may not have been the gunman's intended target. The murder investigation is ongoing.
"Uniacke Square's become a haven. This gunplay gotta stop," Phillip Izzard said.
He described his brother as a nice guy who did not bother anybody. He had worked as a cleaner at a local shopping mall.
"He didn't deserve to die like that."
Still looks for him in window
Izzard also lives in Uniacke Square, about three minutes away from where his brother lived.
"I look at his window every time I walk Gottingen Street, every time I go to the store," he said.
"I look at his window looking for him and he's just not there."
Izzard had harsh criticism for the emergency crews who responded to the shooting. He said paramedics could not immediately get in to help his brother because police had all of Cragg Avenue, the crime scene, blocked off.
He claims paramedics had to walk into Cragg Avenue from Uniacke Street.
"The people were all screaming for them to help him," Izzard said. "Not one of the cops attempted to help my brother. They let my brother bleed out. They thought my brother was a drug dealer so automatically, they just didn't care."
'We did everything we could'
A Halifax Regional Police spokeswoman said that's not the case.
Const. Dianne Penfound said officers were on the scene within two minutes of receiving the 911 call at 11:07 p.m. and provided emergency trauma first aid.
By 11:15, paramedics were on the scene and took over.
"It all happened very quickly," said Penfound. "Paramedics left the scene to transport Mr. Izzard to the QEII [hospital] just before 11:30 p.m."
Penfound said Phillip Izzard's claim that police allowed his brother to bleed out was inaccurate.
"We did everything we could from our point until medical professionals were on scene."
Izzard said he plans to take police to court for alleged negligence.
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