Province offers reward up to $150,000 in Africville shooting case

Gareth Hampshire · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 5:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

The Nova Scotia authorities is offering a reward of up to $150,000 to effort to find those liable for the shooting astatine the yearly Africville reunion successful Halifax past summer.

Five radical were injured erstwhile shots were fired connected July 27 during the event at the erstwhile historical Black assemblage successful the city's northbound end.

This is the archetypal clip the province's large unsolved crimes program has offered a reward successful a lawsuit not involving a homicide oregon suspicious missing idiosyncratic case.

"I deliberation we tin insinuate from that successful presumption of the seriousness of this contented and the interaction it had connected the community," said Don MacLean, main of Halifax Regional Police. "Hopefully it volition pb radical to travel guardant to assistance america further analyse this matter."

The lawsuit is simply a analyzable 1 that's reliant connected first-hand witnesser accounts, MacLean said. No arrests person been made.

Hundreds of radical were gathered to observe the 41st yearly household reunion astatine the National Historic Site of Africville erstwhile gunshots rang retired successful the evening, sending radical moving for cover.

People 'have information,' says constabulary chief 

MacLean said he's hopeful the reward volition assistance further the investigation.

"My investigators are beauteous assured that determination are radical that person accusation that could pb to a palmy decision of this matter," helium said.

The state said the measurement to adhd the lawsuit to the rewards programme is warranted due to the fact that of the quality of the weapon unit astatine an lawsuit wherever radical should person felt safe.

"This wide shooting lawsuit had and continues to person a superior and heartbreaking interaction connected the community, victims and their families. It besides affected america arsenic a province," Justice Minister Becky Druhan said successful the release.

The Africville Genealogy Society organizes the yearly reunion and had ne'er experienced a occupation successful the erstwhile 40 years, said president Irvine Carvery.

Carvery, who dived to the level of his van erstwhile the shots rang out, said people were traumatized by the shooting and assemblage members person been wondering astir the presumption of the investigation.

"We've been sitting backmost determination thinking have they forgotten astir it due to the fact that we ne'er heard anything," helium said. "So to perceive this contiguous is truly bully news."

Carvery said radical person been asking him if it volition beryllium harmless to instrumentality to the reunion aft what happened past summer.

"What I'm saying to radical is we're going to instrumentality each measurement that's indispensable to guarantee their information successful the park," helium said.

Society moving with HRM connected parkland improvements

Carvery said helium has had discussions with Halifax Regional Municipality astir recommendations that resulted from a safety audit the nine ordered after the shooting.

Some of those recommendations include better lighting astatine the site, installing information cameras and trimming backmost overgrown trees and brush.

Anyone with accusation astir the shooting tin telephone the unsolved crimes programme astatine 1-888-710-9090 oregon Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The reward is for accusation that leads to the apprehension and condemnation of those responsible. The state said the reward magnitude volition beryllium based connected the investigative worth of the accusation provided.