The city of Gatineau was the scene, on Tuesday, of the first murder to occur on its territory in 2023.
The assassination by firearm occurred in broad daylight in the heart of the Hull sector, near Lac-Leamy.
Gatineau police were called to intervene after a call to the 9-1-1 central around 2:45 p.m. indicating that shots had been fired and that a man was injured near the intersection of boulevards Saint-Joseph and Montclair, in the Hull sector, in Gatineau.
Citizens intervened to try to come to the aid of the victim, a man in his fifties whose identity has not been revealed, but who was not a person known to the police. He succumbed to his injuries after being taken to hospital.
The police dispatched to the scene quickly set up a perimeter to secure the scene and try to locate a suspect.
Montclair Boulevard remained closed until 9 p.m. Tuesday while police conducted their search. They had also asked the public to avoid the area and residents to stay inside.
No further shots were heard after the killing.
Despite the intervention of the canine unit of the Ottawa Police Service and then of a dog handler from the Sûreté du Québec, neither the suspect nor the weapon could be located.
An autopsy must be performed on the victim’s body.
The investigation is continuing. A command post has been set up near the crime scene and the police are inviting anyone with information about the murder or the suspect to contact them.