The suspect in the murder committed in broad daylight at the Rockland Center at the end of August was arrested in Vancouver by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
On August 23, a 44-year-old man was shot dead in the parking lot of this Mont-Royal shopping center.
Yesterday, the SPVM announced that it had arrested the alleged shooter, a 33-year-old man, with the collaboration of local authorities.
A second man, aged 27, suspected of having driven the vehicle in which the shooter allegedly fled, was also arrested, but in Ottawa. The vehicle in question was found burned the day after the murder.
The two men, linked to organized crime, will be repatriated to Montreal and will appear to face charges of first degree murder, the SPVM said.
The murder had shocked Montrealers, especially since a second assassination had taken place the same day. A 51-year-old man seated on the terrace of a restaurant on rue Saint-Denis, in the Latin Quarter, had been fatally shot.
At present, the evidence collected by investigators does not establish a link between these two crimes, says the police force.
“The Montreal population’s sense of security was affected on August 23, when two firearm homicides were perpetrated in broad daylight, half an hour apart,” the director said in a press release. of the SPVM, Sophie Roy.
“Today, thanks to the rigorous work of investigators and specialized teams, we are pleased to be able to confirm the arrests in connection with the first event, which occurred at the Rockland Centre. As for the Saint-Denis Street homicide, I confirm that the police investigation is ongoing and that our investigators are stepping up their efforts to resolve it. »