Police have identified the 23-year-old man who was fatally shot in North Preston Sunday night.

Narico Downey's death marks Halifax's ninth homicide of 2012.

RCMP say they were alerted to the incident on Downey Road by a call just before 9 p.m.

The officers who responded met up with a vehicle on Lake Major Road that was taking the 23-year-old male victim to the hospital, said Staff Sgt. Peter Ferguson. They transferred the man to an ambulance, and rushed him to the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

Police say the man died at 10:37 p.m.

An autopsy confirmed Downey died from the gun wound, said Const. Tammy Lobb.

Downey's friends, family and neighbours are coming to terms with his death.

Sammy Fraser, a family friend, said he received a phone call last night with the news.

Fraser, who called him Neff, said "he was a good kid."

"So sad now to think we lost another one. That's the really sad part about it, to lose our young kids today," he said.

"We can't stop it. We have to bring our own kids up and then we have to worry about when the phone rings (at) 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning...our people are hurting inside right now."

Neighbours described Downey as a man who loved basketball, and his young son, but he also got into trouble with the law.

He was one of five men charged in connection with a 2009 kidnapping and robbery at a Halifax-area bowling alley. Downey pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the robbery after the fact. He received an 18 month conditional sentence.

Downey's cousin, Coulton Durrell Downey, was sentenced in court Monday in the case, just hours after Narico died.

Narico Downey was also charged with assault against Rashelle Williams in November 2011 and was due back in court in September.

Police are still investigating the case.