A murder investigation is underway after the death of a 24-year-old man in downtown Ottawa early Sunday.
Ottawa paramedics said they were called to Dalhousie Street around 2:30 a.m. Sunday where a man had been stabbed.
He was taken to hospital where he later died.
Police have identified the victim as 24-year-old Navid Niran, Ottawa's first murder victim of 2012. They said he was known to them.
Investigators are on scene at Dalhousie Street between Rideau Street and Besserer Street, and a small section of the sidewalk on Waller Street where a knife was found in the snow.
The manager of Smoke's Poutinerie inside the cordoned-off area said their restaurant and other businesses can't open while the street is closed.
"It's still a shock, I don't want to hear stuff going on like this in front of my store," said Joe Fitzgerald. "I'm not going to say it's a dangerous area, I can never say that because I trust my guys to be there until 4 a.m."
One nearby resident said they weren't surprised there was another incident in the area.
"I think things are getting worse in the area of Dalhousie and Rideau, around the market area," said 17-year-old Marc Parsons. "They either have to get rid of the clubs, close the clubs early at midnight or something like that, but they have to do something."
Police have talked to several witnesses and looked at surveillance video while they try to determine exactly what happened to Niran and where he was before the stabbing.
Anyone with information can call police at 613-236-1222 extension 5493 or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Karen Soloman
