Halifax police have charged two 14-year-olds with second-degree murder following the death this week of 16-year-old Ahmad Maher Al Marrach.
Halifax Regional Police issued a statement Thursday saying the accused were arrested late Wednesday in the Sackville area, north of Halifax. The pair, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, are scheduled to appear in Halifax youth court on Friday.
Ahmad was found badly injured Monday in a parking garage next to the Halifax Shopping Centre, and he died later in hospital.
That same day, two 16-year-old youths were arrested aboard a city bus, but they were released Tuesday without charges.
Police say they believe the killing was not a random act, but few other details were released, including the cause of death.
On Wednesday, hundreds of people gathered inside a Halifax-area mosque for the boy's funeral. An online fundraising campaign to help his family had raised more than $50,000 by Thursday afternoon.
The family arrived in Canada after escaping the war in Syria several years ago. Ahmad was a student at Citadel High School in Halifax, where counsellors, psychologists and other staff members have been made available to his grieving classmates.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about what happened or video from the area to contact police.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.
The Canadian Press
