Greater Montreal was again hit by violence on Wednesday when a man was shot in his garage in Lasalle, the day after a disturbing shooting in Brossard, where three people were arrested after a man been pulled into a parking lot.
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On Wednesday evening, the shots rang out around 9:10 p.m. in the garage of a residence located on rue Marie-Rollet, near boulevard Guy.
Photo QMI Agency, Thierry Laforce
“The victim was rushed to a hospital center and he is in critical condition,” confirmed Véronique Comtois, spokesperson for the SPVM.
Photo QMI Agency, Thierry Laforce
The police also found several casings on the ground. A crime scene has been established.
Authorities had little information at press time. It is unclear whether the man was known to thousands of police.
According to our information, members of the victim’s family were in the house and heard the detonations.
Photo QMI Agency, Thierry Laforce
The event occurred a little more than 24 hours after a shooting worthy of a western, which occurred Tuesday in Brossard.
The individuals involved were formally charged with attempted murder on Wednesday at the Longueuil courthouse, where the prosecution strongly opposed their release.
“Any time a firearm is used there is the potential for innocent victims. Especially since it was in broad daylight, in a public place. It’s disturbing. People are unaware of the dangerousness of firearms. A stray bullet arrived so quickly, ”said Crown prosecutor Ève Malouin on Wednesday.
Shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday, the police were called to the parking lot of a small shopping complex on boulevard de Rome in Brossard, where a 23-year-old man had been shot in the upper body.
Photo QMI Agency, Maxime Deland
A 23-year-old man is in critical condition after being shot in the parking lot of a small shopping complex on boulevard de Rome in Brossard on Tuesday.
According to our information, three suspects would then have fled on the 132 in the direction of Candiac, and several other shots would have been fired on the expressway towards a second vehicle.
Apprehended 8 km away
Except that a problem with their vehicle forced the suspects to stop in the parking lot of a grocery store, 8 km from the crime scene, where they were apprehended by the police. The latter seized a Glock 9 mm there, according to our information.
Abdallah Bekri and Jad Wihby, both 22, appeared on Wednesday on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy. And Cris Ouellette, 25, was charged with complicity after the fact.
We still feared Wednesday for the life of the victim, Younes Guerfi.
Well known to police, he could face criminal charges because he was carrying a gun in his belt when he was found bloodied.
This new shooting in the greater Montreal area is not without great concern for former police officers specializing in firearms.
“It shows a fairly high level of violence and determination. They have very little regard for the safety of people around. It exposes anyone, at any time, to becoming an innocent victim. It’s super dangerous, ”says André Gélinas, retired detective sergeant for the SPVM.
More and more
What worries Stephane Wall, a retired Montreal police supervisor specializing in the judicious use of force, is that shooting from a moving vehicle is more risky and increasing in frequency.
“They don’t take the time to get into a good shooting position, so it’s off to a bad start. It’s a phenomenon that exists a lot in the United States and that we are starting to see more and more here,” he says.
They believe that the noose around criminals should be tightened at all costs, in particular by bringing back minimum sentences for firearms. Efforts should also be concentrated near the source of supply: the borders.