A passenger aboard a taxi vehicle was shot dead during the night from Friday to Saturday in the Parc-Extension district of Montreal. The taxi driver was not injured, but suffered a violent nervous shock.
Emergency services were alerted by several calls to 911 on Saturday, shortly after midnight, regarding the event which occurred near the intersection of rue Saint-Roch and avenue Querbes.
“When police arrived on scene, they located the victim, who was a man, inside the taxi. He was injured in the upper body by at least one firearm projectile. The paramedics carried out resuscitation maneuvers on the victim, but unfortunately he was pronounced dead on the scene,” said officer Caroline Chèvrefils, spokesperson for the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM).
The identity of the victim was immediately unknown.
“According to initial information, one or more suspects fired at the victim, who was on board the taxi vehicle, and then fled before the police arrived,” said Officer Chèvrefils. There were no arrests.
Witnesses were met by investigators and they also had to check the presence of surveillance cameras in the area, which could have captured images of the crime.
This is the third murder to occur on the island of Montreal since the start of the year.
The investigation was entrusted to the Major Crimes Section of the SPVM and forensic identification technicians were called to the scene.
A large perimeter has been erected in the area. Avenue Querbes was closed between rue Jarry and rue Jean-Talon.
The SPVM investigation continues.