The three young men likely involved in a fight Tuesday evening in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough died from their injuries, authorities announced. Among the victims is a 15-year-old teenager.
The Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) was called Tuesday evening in connection with an armed attack that occurred in an alley located between Saint-André and Mentana streets, in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. On scene around 7 p.m., officers located three men aged 15, 23 and 25. They were taken to hospital in critical condition.
According to our sources, one of the victims is Ulrick Peterson Célestin, 25 years old. According to our information, it could be a member of the family of gang leader Jean-Philippe Célestin. For the moment, the authorities do not know if the latter was targeted because of his link with the boss.
He had some criminal history for breaking prescriptions and possessing illicit substances.
The second victim is Alexandre Vatamanu, a 23-year-old man.
The third victim is a 15-year-old teenager known to the police.
The authorities confirm the death of the three young men the day after this argument which degenerated. According to initial reports, one of the three men involved attacked, then the other two defended themselves. “These are the 14e15e and 16e murders to occur on SPVM territory in 2024,” said agent Jean-Pierre Brabant, media relations.
This time last year, we had nine homicides.
A command post is currently erected on rue Rachel, which remains closed in both directions between avenue Christophe-Colomb and rue Saint-André
No arrests have been made in this case.
Seven murders in ten days
The number of homicides has increased in a very short period of time in the metropolis.
There have now been seven murders since May 12 in Montreal.
Asked about this on Tuesday, when the triple murder had not yet occurred, the director of the SPVM Fady Dagher admitted that four murders “is a lot”.
“We have more murders at the moment than in the same month last year. However, in terms of armed violence, we are still decreasing,” he assured The Press in a telephone interview. The murders “are really distinct from each other, but ordinary people who see this in the media, they say to themselves: what is happening in Montreal? “.
“Honestly, in terms of armed violence linked to organized crime, we are still decreasing,” added the police chief.
With Daniel Renaud and Philippe Teisceira-Lessard, The Press