N.S. Black community prays for wounded, including 17-year-old girl, shot at reunion

HALIFAX — A week after shots were fired during a reunion of former residents of a historic Black community in Halifax, a teenager remains in hospital with a bullet in her body, and a local church has organized a “circle of lament.”

Tanya Gray, the cousin of 17-year-old Chrishia Carvery, said her relative was one of the five people caught in crossfire at the gathering in Africville park at 10 p.m. on July 27.

“I’ve had all the emotions: fear, shock, rage, crying,” said Gray, who said Carvery is a vivacious, family-oriented youth who had spent the day keeping an eye on her young cousins.

The teenager was hit by a bullet as she held a toddler, and was taken to hospital, Gray said. Police have said four other people were also taken to hospital with injuries that weren’t life-threatening.

The shooting occurred during the annual Africville reunion, normally a peaceful and celebratory event that unites former residents — and their descendants — of a predominantly Black community that was demolished in the 1960s.

Gray said she often looked after her cousin. Since the shooting, Gray has visited Carvery in hospital and has been helping the teenager’s mother.

“The bullet is in her spine, and the doctor has said they cannot remove it because it would cause more damage than good,” she said.

“I just think about how it could affect her for the rest of her life,” said Gray, adding she’s praying there will be no permanent paralysis.

Gray said the hospital visits have been emotional, but she said she’s been deeply impressed with Carvery’s resilience. “She’s stronger than I am. Her words were, ‘We have to stick together as a family’ …. She’s telling her friends not to cry and it’s going to be OK.”

Still, Gray said the violence creates lasting financial and health impacts. An online fundraising campaign launched this week on GoFundMe has so far raised more than $16,000 to help pay expenses for the young woman and her family.

The location and the timing of the violence was a wider blow to the hundreds of people, including descendants of former residents of Africville, who attend the reunion and to Nova Scotians who considered the Africville park a safe gathering place.

This Sunday, the New Horizons Baptist Church — a historically Black church in the city’s downtown area — said on the X platform that it will be holding a special “Circle of Lament” service to help those feeling pain and loss, and assist in “healing and restoration.”

Rev. Rhonda Britton, the senior pastor at New Horizons, said in an email that her church holds such services to let people express their sadness, adding that it has assisted Africville residents “since the destruction of that community and the Seaview Baptist Church.”

“People need to be able to voice and express their anguish, pain, anger, fear, and even hope. This service allows them to do that and is a reminder that the God we serve cares about us in every circumstance,” she wrote.

Africville existed for more than 120 years on the edge of Halifax, and it has been noted by the Canadian Museum of Human Rights as a place where a “strong, vibrant” community developed — even as the City of Halifax denied it basic services such as sewage, access to clean water and garbage disposal.

The mayor of Halifax offered a public apology in 2010 for the razing of Africville, and part of the compensation payment was used to build a replica of Seaview Church, which now serves as the Africville Museum in the park — not far from the scene of last week’s violence.

Const. John MacLeod, a spokesman for the Halifax police, said in an email that during the incident, “two groups exchanged gunfire and shots went into the surrounding crowd striking five people.”

“I can assure you that we are putting forth every effort to move the investigation forward,” he said.

Gray said the family is hoping that police will soon make progress. “I would like justice. If anybody knows anything out there, come forward,” she said.

“It’s very, very saddening. For 41 years I was involved with Africville. My mother lived in Africville and for 41 years this was a place where people felt safe,” said Gray.

“It will never feel the same again.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2024.

Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press