HALIFAX — A 27-year-old Nova Scotia man was shot and killed at a city apartment building as he attempted to deliver a pizza on Saturday night, says a spokesman for the Halifax police.

Const. Brian Palmeter said a murder investigation has been launched into the death of Chad Smith, of Windsor Junction, N.S.

The police officer said investigators are troubled by the incident, in part because they've found no evidence so far that the shooter knew the man dropping off the food.

"Most homicides...are connected to people with high-risk lifestyles. But in this case our early investigation seems to suggest this might not be the case. If this turns out to be a random incident it's that much more concerning and something we'll have to put our efforts behind in an effort to solve," said the constable.

"It's shocking and it shakes the community and its sense of security. We want to assure people that we're taking this seriously."

The police spokesman, who had been briefed by investigators, said that Smith had entered the apartment block of 15 Joseph Young Street with his delivery when he ran into someone with a gun.

"He had arrived at the building for the purpose of making the delivery and in the process of going to the location where he was supposed to make the delivery he was shot. It was an outdoor, common area outside of the building and in close proximity to a number of different units."

Smith was found bleeding outside the building, but by the time police arrived the pizza delivery man was dead.

"At this time we don't know the motive behind this. We certainly know he was making a pizza delivery, but we don't know what the possible motive was," said Palmeter.

There is also no description of the suspects, nor was there an indicator of what kind of firearm was used.

Police were interviewing people in the area known as Highfield Park, asking if they'd seen anybody fleeing from the area.

The building is just metres away from Jason McCullough park, which is named after a 19-year-old who was shot to death while walking through the area in 1999. His murder has never been solved, and remains one of the city's most prominent cold cases.

The death is also the city's second murder investigation in less than two weeks, and the ninth murder case this year.

Another young man was shot and killed in Halifax on Oct. 16 when a masked man entered his Mulgrave Park home.

Donald (Ducky) Jermaine Stevenson, 21, was shot in front of family members and pronounced dead at the scene.