The family of Abdullah Shaikh, shot by police and suspected of being the author of the series of homicides that have occurred in the last two days, confirm that the alleged killer was struggling with serious mental health problems. The deceased’s brother misunderstands why the police fired on the young man, when “no evidence” indicates that he was the perpetrator of the crimes, according to him.
Updated yesterday at 6:46 p.m.
“We are in shock. My brother was not dangerous. It’s impossible,” whispers the deceased’s brother through the door of his parents’ home in Laval. The young man addressed The Press, tremolos in the voice. “My brother was innocent. The police have no evidence that he was the suspect. »
He does not digest that the police killed his brother.
According to him, Abdullah Shaikh was medicated and in control of his mental health issues. He consulted. He stayed in the hospital several times. “I saw him on Tuesday. He was calm. Regular, mild. There was nothing aggressive about it. They should never have shot him. »
Until the investigation is completed, we don’t know if it was my brother who did this.
Brother of suspect killed this morning
“He had already been arrested a long time ago. He suffered from serious mental health problems. He had been in the psychiatric hospital for a month, ”says the father of the young suspect, met earlier today by The Press. The family confirms several stays in psychiatry in recent years.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
The suspect’s father
“The last time we saw him was on Tuesday. Everything was fine. He has treatments, ”added the mother. Her son had already been arrested by the police at Montreal airport “around April” when he was trying to travel to another country. The authorities had not ruled out the possibility that his mental disorders had radicalized him and pushed him to want to leave Canada in the past, tells us a police source.
According to court documents, the man was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder in 2018 when he faced mischief charges in Montreal. He was also charged with armed assault, sexual assault, assault and threats in 2016. For this case, he was also awaiting trial, scheduled for January 2023 in Laval.
Three kills, one shooter
Authorities confirmed to the media during the day that the three homicides that have rocked Greater Montreal in recent days were allegedly committed by a single shooter.
Abdulla Shaikh is the prime suspect in the murders of three innocent victims, according to our police information. He would have acted alone.
Searches took place shortly before 7 a.m. at the motel Pierre, in the borough of Saint-Laurent, where the alleged killer was hiding. According to our sources, the teams located during the night a suspicious vehicle – a white Dodge Challenger – rented by the alleged shooter via the Turo platform. The latter had been surrounded by a large police perimeter for at least a few hours when he was killed in the parking lot of the establishment.
As the 26-year-old was shot dead during a police operation, the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) will be in charge of the investigation. The file of the three murders was transferred to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
The suspect’s vehicle.
It was the Tactical Intervention Group (GTI) which intervened with the suspect. “On the spot, they would have been confronted by a man in possession of a firearm. Shots were reportedly fired,” the BEI said in a statement.
The alleged murderer would have been hit by at least one projectile and his death was pronounced on the spot. On Twitter, Mayor Valérie Plante praised the work of the police, which she says once again demonstrates “its efficiency and dedication to the safety of Montrealers”. “The last 48 hours have been trying for everyone,” she insisted.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
The scene of the first murder which occurred on Wednesday, at the corner of boulevards Jules-Poitras and Deguire.
Three innocent victims
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 district when the shootings occurred. He would have been randomly targeted.
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, officers found a man lying on the ground with gunshot wounds, about two miles from the first kill. Mohamed Salah Belhaj, an intervention officer at the Albert-Prévost mental health hospital, 48, also succumbed to his injuries.
The SPVM “aware of the impact” of the events
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Sophie Roy, Acting Director of the SPVM
The Montreal Police Service (SPVM) is aware of the impact of the three murders that have occurred since Tuesday evening on the Montreal population, said Sophie Roy, acting director of the SPVM, at a press conference.
There is only one suspect for the three homicides that have occurred in Montreal and Laval since Tuesday evening, confirmed Sophie Roy at a press conference at SPVM headquarters on Thursday. However, she did not confirm that it was the man shot dead earlier in the day and did not reveal his identity.
The investigation into Thursday morning’s police operation has been transferred to the BEI and that the SQ will be responsible for investigating the three homicides, the SPVM considers not to “comment further on the events and investigations in progress”, underlined Sophie Roy.
“It was a concerted effort by our teams, both in the field and the investigation, to locate the suspect. Then there was more work on the judicial side to obtain the authorizations to proceed with his arrest. […] What I can say today is that the threat has been neutralized,” confirmed the commander of neighborhood station (PDQ) 49, Emmanuel Anglade, on Thursday.
Sympathy to the bereaved families
“The murders committed since the day before yesterday have affected us all,” said Mr.me Roy. “The SPVM is aware of their impact on the feeling of security for the Montreal population. […] Since Tuesday, the investigation units have worked day and night on major investigations to elucidate these murders. »
Mme Roy said she was proud of the police teams. “I salute the collaboration of our police colleagues from Laval and the Sûreté du Québec,” she continues.
The acting director also wished to offer her sympathy to the families and friends of the deceased. “We are all sensitive to the pain of families. »
In the neighborhoods affected, the security services of the SPVM will continue in the coming days. “Montrealers’ sense of security will always remain at the heart of the SPVM’s concerns,” said Ms.me Roy.
With Daniel Renaud, Lila Dussault and Isabelle Ducas