Fatal shooting on Lahey Road in Dartmouth ruled homicide, victim identified

Thomas Junior Downey, 39, of North Preston was found dead after a shooting on Lahey Road in Dartmouth late June 26. Police have ruled his death a homicide; no arrests have been made.

Dartmouth resident killed in late-night shooting on Lahey Road

Halifax Regional Police have identified the man shot dead in Dartmouth on the night of June 26, Global News Crime reports. Thomas Junior Downey, 39, of North Preston, was found deceased at the scene on Lahey Road after officers responded to a report of a shooting at around 10:30 p.m.

"The Nova Scotia Medical Examiner's Office did conduct an autopsy and they confirmed the manner of death to be a homicide," said HRP spokesperson Const. Martin Cromwell, who also extended condolences to Downey's family and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Police have said they do not believe the shooting was random. No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.

Neighbours described a frightening scene that night. One resident, who declined to be named for safety reasons, said they were on their back porch when the shots rang out.

"I heard four gunshots, rapid succession," they said. "I was shocked. My heartbeat was just racing because I never heard anything so close before."

Neighbour Richard Russell said the killing struck him personally. "It was gutting. It hit close to home because we're the same age, so it could've been me in another set of circumstances," he said. Russell added that the incident is particularly concerning given the number of families living in the subdivision. "Stray bullets don't discriminate," he said.

Source: Global News Crime