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

The Nova Scotia government is offering a reward of up to $150,000 to try to find those responsible for the shooting at the annual Africville reunion in Halifax last summer.

Five people were injured when shots were fired on July 27 during the event at the former historic Black community in the city's north end.

This is the first time the province's major unsolved crimes program has offered a reward in a case not involving a homicide or suspicious missing person case.

"I think we can insinuate from that in terms of the seriousness of this issue and the impact it had on the community," said Don MacLean, chief of Halifax Regional Police. "Hopefully it will lead people to come forward to help us further investigate this matter."

The case is a complex one that's reliant on first-hand witness accounts, MacLean said. No arrests have been made.

Hundreds of people were gathered to celebrate the 41st annual family reunion at the National Historic Site of Africville when gunshots rang out in the evening, sending people running for cover.

People 'have information,' says police chief 

MacLean said he's hopeful the reward will help further the investigation.

"My investigators are pretty confident that there are people that have information that could lead to a successful conclusion of this matter," he said.

The province said the step to add the case to the rewards program is warranted because of the nature of the gun violence at an event where people should have felt safe.

"This mass shooting event had and continues to have a serious and heartbreaking impact on the community, victims and their families. It also affected us as a province," Justice Minister Becky Druhan said in the release.

The Africville Genealogy Society organizes the annual reunion and had never experienced a problem in the previous 40 years, said president Irvine Carvery.

Carvery, who dived to the floor of his van when the shots rang out, said people were traumatized by the shooting and community members have been wondering about the status of the investigation.

"We've been sitting back there thinking have they forgotten about it because we never heard anything," he said. "So to hear this today is really good news."

Carvery said people have been asking him if it will be safe to return to the reunion after what happened last summer.

"What I'm saying to people is we're going to take every step that's necessary to ensure their safety in the park," he said.

Society working with HRM on park improvements

Carvery said he has had discussions with Halifax Regional Municipality about recommendations that resulted from a safety audit the society ordered after the shooting.

Some of those recommendations include better lighting at the site, installing security cameras and trimming back overgrown trees and brush.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call the unsolved crimes program at 1-888-710-9090 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The reward is for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The province said the reward amount will be based on the investigative value of the information provided.