Laval takes on the air of the Wild West

A 30-year-old was shot from a car in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday, in the middle of a residential district of Laval, the third shooting to terrorize citizens in as many days.

• Read also: Two days of online shooting in Laval

• Read also: His vehicle riddled with bullets: a young man killed leaving a family celebration

“There are children in broad daylight like that. Anyone could pass when it fires. They are not aware of the danger,” Annabel Ramirez is alarmed.

Shortly after 1 p.m., shots rang out around a corner from her home, on rue Normandin, in the Chomedey district. A 33-year-old man known to the police was injured in the foot, said Stéphanie Beshara, spokesperson for the Laval Police Service (SPL).

The shots came from a moving vehicle towards the victim who was on the public road, she added.

Like the gangs

A drive-by shooting that occurs in broad daylight is the signature of street gangs, according to Jean-François Rousselle, assistant-
Director in the Criminal Investigations Sector at the SPL.

“It is too early for a conclusion, but if we rely on 2021, 75% of shootings were associated with conflicts between gangs,” he said.

Since the beginning of the year, 23 firearms have been seized on Laval territory.

“For us, this is unheard of. At this time last year, we had about ten firearms seized. There are a lot of them in circulation and we can see it on the ground,” said Mr. Rousselle.

three kilometer radius

A school bus was dropping off elementary students as officers erected a security perimeter and searched for clues, it has been found. The newspaper. No suspects were arrested on Tuesday.

Citizens say they are greatly worried, especially since the shooting that killed a 28-year-old man and injured three other people after a family celebration on Sunday, around 1 a.m., occurred less than 350 meters away.

Then on Monday, shots were also fired in broad daylight, near a primary school, less than three kilometers from the other two events.

Arrogance never seen

“It sends the message that even a person who lives in a peaceful neighborhood, minds his own business, does not associate with criminals can now be a victim. [d’une fusillade] “commented André Gélinas, retired detective sergeant of the Montreal police.

According to him, the perpetrators of gun violence “have reached an unprecedented level of arrogance and detachment from human life. »

“This is not a situation that is acceptable. Laval is a safe city and I hope it will remain so,” also underlined Mayor Stéphane Boyer.

Anyone who has information about these events or an investigation into firearm violence can confidentially contact the Info-Police Line at 450 662-INFO (4636) or dial 911.