Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault met with police chiefs in the Montreal area on Friday, in the wake of the three homicides committed in a 24-hour interval that have deeply shaken the region.
Updated yesterday at 2:56 p.m.
It was his cabinet that had confirmed the information from the start of the day. According to our information, the heads of the Montreal and Laval police forces, as well as that of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), participated in the discussions. “We will take stock of the situation in Montreal to see if they need anything to continue their work,” said the minister’s press attaché, Louis-Julien Dufresne.
He claims that M.me Guilbault is mostly “in listening mode”. “The purpose of the meeting is for the police forces to inform the Minister of the issues and their needs. The minister will certainly have a few questions about what is happening on the ground these days in general, but above all we want to be able to facilitate their work if necessary,” he insisted.
On Twitter, Thursday, Mme Guilbault said that “the three homicides that occurred in Montreal and Laval horrified us all”. “Our hearts go out to the families of the three victims. Thank you to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), which reacted quickly, ”she added.
Security feeling
Several logistical questions were discussed during the meeting, because in the sectors affected – namely Saint-Laurent, Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Laval – the police will continue to be present in the coming days to reassure the population. “Montrealers’ sense of security will always remain at the heart of the SPVM’s concerns,” said the interim director of the Montreal police force, Sophie Roy, on Thursday.
Recall that the investigation into the police operation on Thursday morning, during which the suspect Abdulla Shaikh was shot dead, has been transferred to the Office of Independent Investigations. The SQ, meanwhile, will be responsible for investigating the three homicides. The SPVM has already indicated that it cannot “comment further on the events and investigations in progress”.
The most recent victim of this series of homicides is Alex Lévis Crevier, a 22-year-old Laval resident. He was riding a skateboard in the Laval-des-Rapides neighborhood when the shots were fired. He was allegedly targeted at random. Two men were killed within an hour of each other on Tuesday evening. The first victim is André Fernand Lemieux, a 64-year-old man, father of Quebec boxer David Lemieux.
An hour later, police found a man lying on the ground with gunshot wounds, about two miles from the first murder. Mohamed Salah Belhaj, an intervention officer at the Albert-Prévost Mental Health Hospital, 48, also died of his injuries.
The mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, also praised the work of the police, which according to her demonstrates once again “its efficiency and its dedication to the safety of Montrealers”. “The last 48 hours have been trying for everyone,” she said, in a tweet.