Man, 25, facing first-degree murder charge in connection to Halifax day-time stabbing: Halifax police

A 25-year-old man is facing a number of charges, including first-degree murder, after a man was stabbed Thursday morning at a downtown Halifax business.

Police responded shortly after 9 a.m. to a weapons call at Insight Optometry on Brunswick Street.

Police say Cymon Felix Cormier entered the business and attacked a staff member, identified by police as 55-year-old Tony Nader.

The suspect then fled on foot and was arrested in the area a short time later, according to Halifax police.

A patron of the business, a 66-year-old man, attempted to intervene and was also injured. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Nader was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries where he later died.

Will Hansen says he met Tony Nader in the guitar-trading community five years ago.

“We’d swap instruments and often just advice and stories about instruments we were curious about or things we wanted to learn more about," said Hansen. "My understanding is, he’s got albums out under his own name, he’s played in bands dating back to probably the 80s or 90s. He’s had a pretty storied musical endeavor or career I guess, in addition to being at Insight and the optometry world.”

Hansen said he saw news articles Thursday indicating there was an incident at Insight Optometry, where Nader worked, but didn’t find out until Friday morning that Nader was killed.

“He is somebody that is beloved by so many people across the Nova Scotia area,” said Hansen. "You knew Tony, whether you knew him well or not, you felt like you had a friend for life.”

Online tributes started pouring in Friday for the man who, among other things, loved music.

"There’s a lot of people that have played in bands with him, or maybe seen his shows. He has a real infectious enthusiasm. That's one of the first things you come across when you were to meet Tony,” said Hansen. “There was a pep in his step and it just, even if he was just popping in to say hi, there was a joyfulness about it."

Investigators believe this was not a random incident.

Cormier has been charged with:

• first degree murder
• assault causing bodily harm
• assault with a weapon
• possession of a weapon dangerous to the public

Cormier appeared in court on Friday. He has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Jan, 28, 2022.

Anyone with information about the incident, or video from Queen Street area between Spring Garden Road and Victoria Road from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, is asked to call police at 902-490-5020.