The first, a 44-year-old man, was killed in a shooting in the parking lot of Rockland Mall in the city of Mont Royal, according to Montreal police spokesman Const. Jean-Pierre Brabant. Brabant said a 911 call came in around 12:55 p.m. about a man hit by gunfire at the mall. Investigators are on the scene meeting with witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage, he said. Radio-Canada has learned the man was shot in the upper body and taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead. His ties to organized crime were known to police, Radio-Canada reports.
St-Denis Street was closed
The second shooting happened inside a restaurant on St-Denis street in Montreal’s central Latin district about 40 minutes later. The victim, who is in his 50s, was shot at least once in the upper body and taken to the hospital, Braband said. CPR was performed on the man in the ambulance en route to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police closed St-Denis Street between Avenue de Maisonneuve and Ontario Street to investigate. Surveillance camera footage will be reviewed, Braband said, but preliminary information indicates a suspect entered the restaurant, shot the victim at least once and fled in an unknown direction.
The Mayor reassures the public
On Twitter Tuesday, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plant drew attention to the two shootings and said the city’s police were “working hard in the affected areas to reassure citizens and conduct the investigation.” “All necessary resources are available to shed light on these crimes,” he said. Public Safety Secretary Geneviève Guilbault also tweeted, saying she spoke to Plante about the two shootings. “We understand the public’s concern. As always, our officers will be working day and night to apprehend the criminals involved,” he said.
