Murders of teenagers in Montreal | Killed “for a yes or a no”

Thomas Trudel, whose recent murder shocked the province, was reportedly shot at random, victim of a phenomenon called scoring, has learned Press. He is one of three teenagers murdered in Montreal this year. At the heart of these murders: the trivialization of guns, rivalries fueled by social networks, futile quarrels that degenerate and armed individuals with impunity. Back to three tragic deaths.

Mayssa Ferah
Press

Daniel Renaud
Press

Thomas trudel

Scoring : English term for victims of reprisals taken at random to score points. This would be one of the hypotheses, if not the main hypothesis to explain the murder of Thomas Trudel, who was shot dead two weeks ago in Montreal, sources told The Press. The possibility torments the young people of the neighborhood, who wonder if they will be the next targets.

” Where do you come from ?

– I’m from JFP [Joseph-François-Perrault]. ”

This is the brief verbal exchange that would have preceded the fatal shot on the evening of the murder of 16-year-old Thomas Trudel. This is what four friends of the teenager reported during the week.

“I saw someone on social networks who wrote +1,” said one of them in a trembling voice last Wednesday. He requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The young people who confided in Press speak of a rivalry between Saint-Michel and Saint-Léonard. This conflict for futile but virulent reasons has been going on for several years, they say. Recall that we do not know where the shooter comes from, since no arrest has been made by the authorities until now.

A few weeks ago, during a trial in Saint-Jérôme, a police expert in street gangs from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), Caroline Raza, explained this “new phenomenon” during a testimony. .

” It scares me. Very scared. “

When a gang member is killed, his allies rush to attack the area of ​​the rival group to “score points” on the “opps”, the enemies.

the scoring – shots in the air, on property or on a person – can be done at random, which would support the thesis that Thomas Trudel would be a random victim in the context of a territorial message.

According to our information, the 16-year-old was not a member of a gang and was not involved in criminal activity. Police still viewed him as an innocent victim as of this writing.

Young people are talking. And the thesis of scoring came to the ears of Mohamed Mimoun, confirms the social worker in Saint-Michel. “If the investigation reveals that this is indeed it, it scares me. Very scared. ”

Why would Thomas Trudel have been targeted by an armed clique without having any link with a possible territorial conflict?

“If you rep [représentes] your street, your school or your sector publicly, it can attract the attention of gangs, ”explained to Press an individual who revolves around street gangs in Montreal. A young person who identifies too much with his neighborhood on social networks, for example, can become a target. The modus operandi of the armed cliques is to target young people who are walking around unarmed. “Easy targets”, drops the individual.

Insecurity long before the murder

Last Thursday, around 5 p.m., Saint-Michel was already falling asleep. The neighborhood returns home at a run. The park is empty. This friendly neighborhood has lost its charm and vigor since the tragedy, remarks Mohamed Mimoun, coordinator for the Saint-Michel Youth Forum.

Through the window of the cramped basement of the Saint-Michel library, we see a few young people laughing. The organization headed by “Momo” meets three evenings a week. To keep young people busy. Listen to them talk about the hot new musician. Teach them how to apply for a job. Guide them to their dream. “We would like to have a place of our own. But we’re told there’s nothing vacant, ”says Momo, busy serving apple juice to five talkative, hungry teenagers. The group present Thursday evening made short work of the huge pizzas scattered on the table.

That evening, the subjects are varied. Between two debates on rap and cryptocurrency, we are exasperated by the many politicians present at the march in memory of Thomas Trudel last Saturday.

“It’s been shooting for a long time. Now that there is a dead man, we come to lay flowers and make speeches. But they have never come before to see how things are going, ”explains a young man who does not mince his words.

This tense atmosphere, Momo experienced shortly after the death of Meriem Boundaoui, also a victim of a gun, last February. “The young people started to be afraid. I heard new things. Teenagers who want to arm themselves to protect themselves. Who provoke each other on the networks. And that worries him. In the short term, he would like the bond of trust with the police to be rebuilt. So that worried teens who are aware of misdeeds denounce them.

The young people resume their lively discussion. One of them recalls the testimony of a politician who believed that Thomas could have been his son. “It couldn’t be them. They live in Quebec or Ottawa. I live in Saint-Michel. It could be me next. “

Jannai Dopwell-Bailey

A conflict between students after one of them was expelled from a school program at Coronation School escalated. Then a sector war broke out between two cliques of young people. This is what led to the tragic death of Jannai Dopwell-Bailey, stabbed in Côte-des-Neiges at the end of school on October 18, learned Press.

Andrei Donet, a second suspect, was charged with the murder of the 16-year-old on Friday. The 18-year-old suspect was already being held on charges of drug trafficking and possession of a firearm. He appeared by videoconference in Montreal on Friday.

Another 16-year-old suspect was arrested days after the murder of young Dopwell-Bailey. Accused of conspiracy and second degree murder, this youth who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act had been kicked out of school a few weeks before the murder.

An argument between young people from two sectors, Côte-des-Neiges and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, would have followed this dismissal.

The first clique is called OXB – in reference to Oxford Avenue in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce – and the second is called 160 Uptown, in reference to the Côte-des-Neiges sector. Young people are not involved in criminal activities linked to street gangs.

Badly beaten, then stabbed

Jannai Dopwell-Bailey left school on October 18th. He and his friend were attacked by at least three young people between the ages of 16 and 18. They first attacked the victim’s boyfriend, who took refuge inside the school.

Young Dopwell-Bailey was then severely beaten and then stabbed.

The conflict between schoolchildren has therefore worsened. Everything has become territorial. “We saw provocations on social networks, then the day after the murder, full of threats of reprisals. We told everyone not to go to NDG and vice versa, ”explains a 15-year-old girl who is not involved in the conflict. She remains concerned about this escalation of violence.

The family and relatives of the young deceased paid tribute to him on November 19. The funeral ceremony was held at the Anglican Church of Saint-Paul, in the Côte-des-Neiges district. Crying teenagers were present in the small, crowded church.

Meriem Boundaoui

Meriem Boundaoui, 15, was shot dead in Saint-Léonard last February. A conflict between two families of traders, initially caused by a banality, but which escalated over time, would have led to this tragic event, according to information obtained by Press. The teenager would have had nothing to do with this whole thing.

Almost 10 months later, the victim’s brother-in-law, Samir Bouchoul, is adamant: as long as there are no arrests in connection with this murder, the armed young people will continue to believe “that everything is permit ”.

Sitting in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle, Meriem Boundaoui had joined a man met a few weeks earlier on social networks. The driver said he met two acquaintances, with whom he struck up a simple conversation. He claimed at the time to Press not being aware of a quarrel between the two people met and the alleged shooters.

Feeling of impunity

The feeling of impunity of certain armed young people is growing, affirms Samir Bouchoul. Teenagers unknown to the police services shoot each other “for a yes or a no”, with social networks in the background, he notes.

Months after the tragedy, the memory of the young Algerian immigrant remains intact. And the recent violent events in the metropolis have rekindled the grief of the grieving family.

“Since she heard about Thomas, my wife has been crying every day,” drops Samir Bouchoul. For him, we must ask serious questions about the ease with which young people draw their weapons. We also need to strengthen the penalties for firearms, he said. “I ask myself some serious questions. I read the news. Either there are no arrests, or the young people get out of prison quickly. After they continue [à tirer]. The wheel turns and there is nothing to dissuade them. “