‘It’s worrying’: Montreal mayor speaks out after city’s latest fatal shooting

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said she’s concerned about the spike in gun violence in the city after a 22-year old man was shot dead in Villeray on Sunday night

Police say 911 calls were made at 9:45 p.m. for gunshots fired on Crémazie Boulevard near Papineau Avenue, where officers found the victim laying on the ground with gunshot wounds to his upper body.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene after attempts by emergency services to revive him were unsuccessful, according to police.

“It’s worrying,” Plante told reporters on Monday.

READ MORE: Quebec government to create police unit to fight Montreal’s rising gun violence

An investigation into the fatal shooting is underway. No arrests have been made but officials say the victim is known to police.

A command post has been set up in the area and investigators are going door to door to speak to possible witnesses. Police say this is the 17th homicide in the city in 2021.

This comes as Montrealers have witnessed a rise in shootings, prompting the Quebec government to announced it would to create a specialized police unit charged with tackling gun violence came after last week’s in Rivière-des-Prairies shooting that left three dead.

“We are putting our resources together to fight it,” Plante added. “Montreal is a safe city, and it has to stay that way.”

READ MORE: Montreal mayor says gun violence must stop after triple homicide in city’s east end

Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault told reporters the unit will be permanent and dedicated to reducing gun trafficking. The RCMP have also been contacted about joining the effort.

Guilbault said it won’t take long for the unit to get to work on a crime-reduction strategy. The unit will be made up of public security officials, city officials and community workers.

“All levels of government are committed to getting guns off the street and making the city’s neighbourhoods safer,” Plante said last week.

READ MORE: ‘Why three bullets?’: Family of Black Quebec man shot dead by police wants answers

“Behind this violence, these criminals are engaged in turf wars over the sale of drugs or in the trafficking of young people for sexual exploitation,” Montreal police Chief Sylvain Caron said. “These are complex, large-scale investigations.”

Montreal police don’t release detailed statistics on shootings in the city, but police and residents of several neighbourhoods say gun violence is quickly rising in Montreal — and the shootings are getting more brazen.

Montreal police Insp. David Shane said on Wednesday the number of gun crimes is comparable to previous years but the incidents are becoming more serious.

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