Old Montreal shooting

[jesseps]

MONTREAL – Two people are dead and two are in serious but stable condition in hospital after a shooting in an Old Montreal clothing store around 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Police are searching for two gunmen who fled the scene.

 

One of the victims died inside the Flawnego store on St. Jacques St., while a second person died in hospital a few hours later. Two other victims, including a man who drove himself to hospital, are in serious but stable condition, Montreal police Constable Olivier Lapointe said.

 

Police quickly cordoned off St. Jacques St. between St. Jean and St. François Xavier Streets as they began their investigation.

 

Bystanders milled about on the sidewalk, but none had witnessed the broad-daylight shooting.

 

Montreal Police spokesperson Anie Lemieux said it was too early to tell the context of the crime, whether it was armed robbery or some other motive.

 

A reporter arrived to see a body being loaded into an ambulance and driven away. Two ambulances left the scene of the crime, while a third remained parked outside the store, on a strip of St. Jacques lined with boutique hotels and offices.

 

The store is owned by Joseph Ducarme, believed to be a street gang leader associated with the Reds. Ducarme was facing assault charges and is alleged to have intimidated business owners in a bid to exert influence over drug territory.

 

Montreal has been the site of a turf war over the illegal drug trade after police operations in recent years decimated the Hells Angels and hobbled the mob.

 

Ducarme’s name also surfaced in the wake of the shooting of Nicolo Rizutto Jr. in December, son of reputed Mafia don Vito Rizzuto.

 

Documents to support a search warrant executed against two of Ducarme’s associates identify him as an enforcer for Tony Magi, the construction magnate for whom Rizzuto Jr. worked.

 

Rizzuto Jr. was gunned down in front of Magi’s offices in NDG on Dec. 28 sparking fears of reprisals.

 

Police said the assailants are believed to have fled west to a getaway car. A rasta wig was discovered at the corner of St. Pierre and St. Antoine Streets a few blocks away, a possible disguise worn by the attackers.

 

Two workers outside the Intercontinental Hotel, close to where the wig was dropped, said they saw nothing.

 

Despite the brash nature of the violence, police are not issuing any public warnings.

 

Although they wouldn’t confirm the shooting was targeted, they said it was certainly not random.

 

All the gunfire was confined to the store, police added.

 

More details to come.

 

(Courtesy of The Montreal Gazette)

 

WOW I am happy I don`t live on St Pierre anymore.

 

This city has gone to the dogs. I guess its time to really go out and buy a bulletproof vest and armour up my car.

Modifié 18 mars 2010 par jesseps

[MTLskyline]

^ No need to overreact, violent crime happens in every major city. This just looks like a settling of accounts by the mafia. As long as you're not a criminal (or don't associate with them), you have little reason to worry.

[jesseps]

^ No need to overreact, violent crime happens in every major city. This just looks like a settling of accounts by the mafia. As long as you're not a criminal (or don't associate with them), you have little reason to worry.

 

Its sort of been getting worse. A while ago there was a drive by shooting in Pierrefonds and Ahunsic. Now all this mafia bs. Montreal is like turning into NY circa 1970s or something.

[MTLskyline]

Its sort of been getting worse. A while ago there was a drive by shooting in Pierrefonds and Ahunsic. Now all this mafia bs. Montreal is like turning into NY circa 1970s or something.

 

It's true that there seems to be a little turf war, but it is nowhere near comparable to NYC in the 70s (or even Montreal in the 70s had over 100 murders a year). It's just that we've become really sensitized to violent crime in this city over the past 15 (unusually safe) years that when the murder rate climbs a little, we all freak out.

 

This sort of thing is not happening every day, not even every week. If it was, then there would be cause for concern. I have been to a few "dangerous" neighbourhoods in other cities, and nowhere in Montreal compares to any of those areas at all.

 

That being said, it does appear that the murder rate will increase this year, but I don't even expect 50 murders (equivalent of 1 a week).... Probably 30-40 again. New York City still gets more than 300 a year (and that is one of the lowest rates in the US). The equivalent of their current rate in Montreal would be something like 75 murders.

[jesseps]

All I can remember is the 90s with the huge turf war with the bikers and now this.

 

Its true we aren't as bad as New York or Winnipeg, but its just insane. How its gone out of control. One week you have people fire bombing cafes and now hits Whats next someone blowing up someones car? Hasn't happened a few years, but I have a feeling this will happen again soon, with the way everything going now.

 

I know I shouldn't over react but one minute Montreal quite safe and now this.

[JFrosty]

That area is getting worse and worse....

[Maisonneuve]

Time to get Detectives Eames and Goren on the case...On the news they showed one of the head coverings one of the shooters use. It was a dreadlocks. Why do criminals always try to make people think that blacks are responsible for these types of crimes?

 

Rizzuto's was shot by a "black man." The shooter might have been black, but he could have been paid by someone so that the flak doesn't trace back to the people with the original intentions. It's a tactic commonly used by the mob. Then when confronted they can say "hey, it wasn't us, didn't the news say it was some black guys."

 

shame.

[WestAust]

As long as you're not a criminal (or don't associate with them), you have little reason to worry.

 

One of the guy who died was a simple painter who happened to be doing his job at that moment in the store.

 

Or the guy who was stabbed to death for no reason by a 16 yo street gang member last week in St-Henri.

 

i could continue like that with examples of people not related, not associated, jusst doing their job or enjoying a good time getting killed by those rats for no reason other than being there at that moment.

 

We need a stronger police force, and clean up the streets from street gangs and those villanueva type of people who do nothing good for society.

[Cataclaw]

This sucks, but let's not freak out either.

 

I'm with MTLskyline on this one.

[WestAust]

I'm not freaking out, but something needs to be done before it degenerates again to a situation like we had in the 90's with the bikers