Police are investigating the sudden death of a 22-year-old man outside Halifax.
The man was found dead just before 8 p.m. Thursday on Cherry Brook Road in Cherry Brook, N.S.
Few details have been released, but police say they are treating the man’s death as suspicious.
Police have blocked off the scene near a yellow home in the area, but haven’t said whether the man was found inside.
CTV News has confirmed the victim is Josiah Sparks. Area resident Marcel Slawter tells CTV News Sparks was living with his grandparents, and they were shocked to learn of his death.
“I’ve seen some family members visibly upset. Obviously, it’s a pretty tragic thing to see a young man’s life taken away, doesn’t matter what the circumstances,” said Slawter. “It’s a tragic loss of life.”
Slawter says Sparks was well-liked in the community, shoveling driveways in the winter and a member of the nearby church.
“Cherry Brook is … a sleepy community. I don't know what the population is, but it can't be more than a few hundred people,” Slawter says. “It's always been close-knit, very religious community, big into family, so this type of stuff is very, very surprising.”
The Halifax District Integrated Major Crime Unit is leading the investigation, with assistance from the RCMP’s forensic identification section and the medical examiner’s office.
Police say an autopsy will be performed Friday.
"The investigation is very fresh, it's fluid, and of course changing every minute,” says Cpl. Jennifer Clarke, spokesperson for Nova Scotia RCMP. “I can't really speak about suspects at this point in time.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.
