Author of the article: Brendan Kelly, Montreal Gazette Publication date: August 03, 2022 • 54 minutes ago • 4 minutes read • 6 Comments Montrealers walk past the St-Laurent bus stop where a man was shot and killed Tuesday night. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

Content of the article

Montreal police say it is almost certain that two fatal shootings that happened within an hour in different parts of the city Tuesday night were carried out by the same person.

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Chief Inspector Marie-Claude Dandenault said on Wednesday night that “one shooter is responsible for both shootings. To confirm it 100 percent, we are waiting for some details. We await the ballistic report. But 99 percent the same person is responsible for both shootings.” Multiple media reports said the victims were chosen at random by the killer, but police say they cannot confirm this at this stage. “Right now, we can’t say that,” Dandenault said. “But I can’t say it isn’t. That’s the point. Right now we have several scenarios that we are considering. We can’t say it’s a coincidence, but we can’t rule it out.” There is no indication that the homicides are gang-related. Police have some eyewitnesses and a lead on a vehicle.

Advertising 3

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

The deaths are the latest in a spate of gun violence in the city this year. They happened after the murder of two teenagers last Thursday in Montreal West. The first of Tuesday night’s shootings was reported around 9:45 pm at Jules-Poitras and Deguire Blvds. near Roman-Zytynsky Park in the municipality of St-Laurent. Officers found the body of a 64-year-old man who had been shot at least once in the upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was André Lemieux, the father of local professional boxer David Lemieux. On Wednesday, the former IBF middleweight champion posted a message on Instagram saying: “RIP Dad.”

Advertising 4

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

According to court records, André Lemieux resided on Jules-Poitras Blvd. and near where he was shot. He was recently charged with driving and drug possession cases still pending in Montreal court. Lemieux had a long criminal record, but his most recent conviction came in 2008 after he pleaded guilty to a theft he committed that same year. He received a sentence that he could serve in the community as well as three years of probation. The second victim was Mohamed Salah Belhaj, 48, who was killed a few kilometers northeast of the first shooting, at an intersection in the Ahuntsic district around 10:50 p.m. in the tent. A spokeswoman for the district health board, where the victim worked, confirmed his identity.

Advertising 5

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

“We are upset to learn of the death in tragic circumstances of Mr. Mohamed Salah Belhaj, an interventionist at the Albert-Prevost mental health hospital,” wrote Emilie Jacob, spokeswoman for the health board serving Nord-de-l’Ile. -de-Montréal. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family.” Mayor Valérie Plante expressed regret for the killings. My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the two victims of the heinous crimes that took place last night in Montreal. I understand the concerns of citizens after these events. Know that @SPVM spares no effort to shed light on these crimes. #polmtl — Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) August 3, 2022

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Plante tweeted: “My heart goes out to the families and close friends of the two victims of these heinous crimes last night in Montreal. I understand the concerns of citizens after these events. Please know that the SPVM is doing everything it can to shed light on these crimes.” But Abdelhaq Sari, public safety spokesman for the opposition Ensemble Montréal party, said Plante’s administration is not doing enough. Sarri said in a written statement: “Gun violence continues to rise in Montreal. Unfortunately, this issue is far from a priority for the Plante administration. We have proposed a number of solutions to address this issue: summer security plan, restoring police numbers, social worker needs assessment. … Unfortunately, none of these solutions have been implemented. The most disturbing aspect is the management’s refusal to accept any proposal without an alternative. How long will it take for Projet Montréal to understand that security is also the responsibility of the city of Montreal?”

Advertising 7

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Iyeb Abdrabou, who lives near Sauvé and Meilleur streets in Ahuntsic, said he heard what sounded like gunshots Tuesday night. “In the last couple of years, we’ve been hearing a lot of gunshots in the area and we’re starting to get more concerned about what’s going on here in the neighborhood,” Abdrabou said. “I don’t feel safe. What is happening in Montreal for the last two years, we thought it was happening in the United States or even in Toronto, but now we can see that something is wrong in the city. I don’t think the police are doing enough. With gangs, a kid could get hit, or a dad, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have a 12 year old daughter and she is about to go to high school and I am very worried. I don’t think I’ll let her on the bus.”

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Marvens Jean, a 17-year-old who was playing basketball at St-Benoit Park in Ahuntsic on Wednesday, right next to where the killing took place, said it was disturbing to think that someone was killed just meters away from the basketball court. “This is the first time I’ve heard of anyone being shot here,” Jean said. “I thought we were safe here.” Crime scenes were set up at both locations and the killings bring to 17 the number of homicides committed on the island of Montreal this year. 16 homicides were recorded in the corresponding period last year. The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

Share this article on your social network

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Sign up to receive daily news headlines from the Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Thanks for subscribing!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of Montreal Gazette Headline News will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if someone follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to customize your email settings.