A man was killed while he was a passenger in a taxi in the Parc-Extension district, during the night from Friday to Saturday. This is the third murder to occur on the island of Montreal since the start of 2024.
It was a little after midnight that the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) said it was called to intervene at the corner of rue Saint-Roch and avenue Querbes. Several calls to 911 were then made, the scene having occurred in a fairly dense and mainly residential area, near Jarry Park.
According to the first information collected by investigators, one or more suspects “would have fired in the direction of the victim, who was on board the taxi vehicle, and then fled before the arrival of the police,” explained the agent Caroline Chèvrefils, spokesperson for the SPVM.
The victim was injured in the upper body by at least one bullet, according to police. Resuscitation maneuvers were carried out, but his death was noted on the scene, continued Mme Honeysons. The taxi driver was not injured, but he suffered a violent nervous shock. Paramedics treated him on the spot.
Please note: the identity of the victim is immediately unknown, as investigators have not yet had time to carry out a complete search of the taxi. There is still no arrest in connection with this case as of early Saturday.
Several potential witnesses will be met by investigators over the next few hours. Video tapes from surveillance cameras that could have captured images should also be viewed by law enforcement, in an attempt to retrace the sequence of events.
As per protocol, the current investigation has been entrusted to the Major Crimes Section of the SPVM. Forensic identification technicians were also requested as reinforcements.
A vast security perimeter has been set up. Querbes Avenue should be closed between Jarry and Jean-Talon streets for a good part of the day.
This is the third murder to occur on the island of Montreal since the start of the year, and the second in just 24 hours. Friday morning, Narjess Ben Yedder, a woman in her thirties, was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband in their home in Pointe-aux-Trembles. This sad case is also the second alleged femicide in Quebec in 2024.
In mid-January, a man was found lifeless in a vehicle parked in the Ville-Marie district. The SPVM then confirmed that it was a murder and the first homicide of the year. The victim was Charles-Anthony Carrier, a 30-year-old man, who was able to confirm The Press. He was known to the police and had a long history of more than 10 years in trouble with the law.