N.S. community shocked by deaths of father, daughter; suspect was wanted in Toronto shooting

A Nova Scotia community is mourning the loss of two of its members after they were shot and killed in Halifax on New Year’s Eve.

Rev. Jivaro Smith, the lead minister of the Saint Thomas Baptist Church in North Preston, N.S., says the community and family of Cora-Lee Smith and her father, Bradford Downey, are shocked and heartbroken by their deaths.

“It’s been a tragic shock to us,” Smith said. “Two nice people who didn’t deserve this fate.”

Smith says he grew up with Downey and knew Cora-Lee Smith since she was a child. He is remembering them both as loving, respectful people who had a zeal for life.

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Smith says the victims’ family is struggling to cope but notes the community is grounded in their faith and trust in God.

The community of North Preston will be hosting a private gathering Monday evening at its local community centre, where grief and spiritual counselling will be available for members.

Smith and her father were found inside a vehicle in the 2400 block of Gottingen Street around 10:35 p.m. Tuesday.

Halifax Regional Police say they had been shot. Smith, 40, was already dead when officers arrived on scene. Downey, 73, was found unresponsive and was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.

Police found the body of the suspected shooter near the skating oval at the Halifax Common around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators say 39-year-old Matthew Costain died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police say Costain had been in a relationship with Cora-Lee Smith and they are treating the murders of her and her father as an incident of intimate partner violence.

“These are the things that go through your mind when you work in this field is what could have done, what resources were available for this woman and her family?” said Emma Halpern with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia.

Matthew Costain is shown in a Toronto Police Service handout photo released in 2019. Halifax police say the man suspected of killing a woman and her father on New Year’s Eve was a fugitive wanted in Toronto since 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Toronto Police Service **MANDATORY CREDIT**

Costain was wanted in 2019 Toronto shooting

Halifax police confirm Costain was a fugitive wanted in connection with a shooting at a Toronto nightclub in 2019.

Toronto police issued a warrant for Costain’s arrest on Sept. 6, 2019, alleging he was involved in a nightclub shooting a month earlier that injured four people. The original warrant said Costain was wanted for illegal possession of a restricted firearm, aggravated assault and breach of probation.

“Matthew Costain from the events in Halifax on New Year’s Eve has now been confirmed to be the same Matthew Costain wanted in Toronto,” said Halifax Regional Police Const. Martin Cromwell in an email to CTV News.

“Any further questions about investigations by the Toronto Police Service should be directed to them.”

CTV News reached out to the Toronto Police Service, but it declined to comment.

“We have no information to share at this time,” said senior communications advisor Nadine Ramadan in an email.

Intimate partner violence

These deaths mark the fourth murder-suicide linked to intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia in the last three months. In each case, a man killed his female partner before committing suicide.

The Nova Scotia government adopted a bill declaring domestic violence an epidemic last September. Attorney General and Minister of Justice Becky Druhan said they have increased funding and resources to support survivors.

“Intimate partner violence remains a deeply entrenched issue in our society and continues to affect far too many individuals and families,” she said in an email. “While progress has been made, we know there is more to be done.”

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Hafsa Arif and The Canadian Press

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.