There was a heavy police presence in North Preston on Tuesday as nearly 400 people gathered to remember one of Halifax’s recent murder victims.

Naricho Clayton, 23, was one of two men shot in an SUV on Gottingen Street on April 19.

He was laid to rest at Saint Thomas Baptist Church in North Preston.

"It saddens me that his family is now losing someone so young,” said Timothy Smith, a friend of Clayton.

Smith says Clayton loved basketball, taekwondo, and his family and friends.

“(Clayton) and his brother stuck up for me a lot when people wanted to bother me," said Smith.  "Just want to remember him as a nice guy, you know?  A kind guy.”

Clayton's final resting place will be at the Downey Road Cemetery, less than a kilometre from the church. It’s also just a few houses from an area police were actively searching on Monday in connection with another murder.

Police haven't said what they were searching for, but it wasn't far from where Daverico Downey was gunned down early Saturday morning.

Investigators do not believe his death was connected to two others last week.

“We're really, really concerned about this,” said Cpl. Jennifer Clarke of Nova Scotia RCMP.  “We're doing everything we can to help prevent further acts of violence in our communities." 

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Bruce Frisko.