NOVA SCOTIA: Hundreds Gather In Vigil For Slain Activist Raymond Taavel

Last night hundreds gathered for a vigil outside the Halifax gay bar near the spot where renowned activist Raymond Taavel was beaten to death in what appears to have been a homophobic hate crime.

Witnesses reportedly told police they saw a man yelling "faggot" before getting into an altercation with two smaller men, one of whom fled. Police and emergency crews arrived soon after, but Taavel died at the scene. Cops used a police dog to track down the suspect, hiding nearby. Taavel's friends say he died trying to break up a fight between the other two men, and many people are labelling his murder a hate crime -- a theory police would not confirm or deny. "We are exploring all possibilities with regards to motives," Const. Brian Palmeter said.

The man in custody is a mental patient with a history of violence.