A grieving family and upset neighbors: the discovery of the bodies of two women in an apartment building in Longueuil on Wednesday caused a shock wave in this family neighborhood. The Longueuil Agglomeration Police Service (SPAL) is now treating the case as a double murder and speaks of a “major crime scene”.
Family members of the victims are accompanied by police and social workers at the corner of Boulevard des Ormeaux and Rue Mousseau on Wednesday. Some double over in pain. Others speak on the phone to warn their loved ones. For them, the worst has just happened.
On the other side of the perimeter established by the police, children play among their shocked parents: the families living in the building where the tragedy took place. They will not be able to return to the premises for many hours. One family even had to be taken care of by the Red Cross.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
The discovery took place around 11:30 a.m. when SPAL police officers were called to intervene in this ordinary brown brick building, similar to so many others along Boulevard des Ormeaux.
On site, officers found the bodies of two women, one in their sixties and one in their eighties. According to information collected by The Press, the two victims are related. The SPAL initially considered the deaths suspicious, before confirming at the end of the day that it was a double murder.
A man in his thirties was there when police arrived. He had to be taken to hospital to treat nervous shock.
“We saw him come out, he was screaming like crazy, then seven, eight, ten [policiers] came and jumped on him. He left in an ambulance,” he told The Press an immediate neighbor, who witnessed the scene.
The 30-year-old is considered a “person of interest” in the case, said Ghislain Vallières, spokesperson for SPAL. He will be met by investigators.
“Not a quiet apartment”
The two victims and the 30-year-old lived together in this accommodation, several neighbors assured. “It wasn’t such a quiet apartment,” testifies Clémence, who lived in the same building, just opposite the crime scene. “There were noises, bickering. I didn’t really know what was going on. The police have already come. I’ve already seen him handcuffed, it scared me,” adds the mother, who now hopes to move.
“It’s not the first time that the police have been there,” also confirms the neighbor who witnessed the thirty-year-old’s departure by ambulance. Without knowing each other, the two men crossed paths. “He was always asking me for cigarettes and rolling papers,” said this neighbor.
According to several other neighbors met by The Press, this man sometimes had worrying comments or attitudes. “It had a strong smell of cigarettes or cannabis. He wore bizarre outfits, with a hat that hid his face, illustrating Clémence. The children were scared. »
A large security perimeter was erected around the building on Wednesday. A second, smaller perimeter was also installed on the other side of the street, on Boulevard des Ormeaux. “It’s an important crime scene, even major, which is bound to evolve,” explained Officer Vallières, on site.
Investigators and a team specializing in forensic expertise were called to the scene to establish the chronology of events and the circumstances of the murders. Teams dedicated to mental health were also dispatched to support the victims’ families, adds Mr. Vallières.
” It’s worrying ”
As they return from work or school and hear the news, people in the neighborhood become disturbed.
“It’s intense, I definitely have concerns, because there are a lot of children here,” observes Jessica Rendon, who lives across the street.
“A double murder around here worries me, because usually it’s a fairly quiet neighborhood,” also assures a man who lives a little further away, from his balcony.
However, the sector does not have such a good reputation. “Here, these are families, people below the poverty line who are trying to get by,” says a passerby, whose mother lives nearby. “The other day, someone set fire to the trash cans in their block. »
Another mother, who lives in the same building as the victims, is saddened: “It’s not easy at all,” she confides.
Anyone concerned can contact emergency services
The SPAL recommends that anyone experiencing concerns or difficulties related to these events call their regional crisis center or emergency services by calling 911.