Shooting of Gang Leader in Canadian Starbucks May Indicate Transition to Brazen Methods, Report Crime Experts

The brazen daylight killing of a prominent Montreal underworld figure inside a outlying Starbucks recently could suggest a developing, more unstable and brash climate when it comes to criminal organizations, experts note.

Power Vacuum Emerging

The apprehensions of suspected top-level, established members of the local underworld in June has likely resulted in a vacuum – meaning newer, younger gangs are striving to gain a foothold.

Violent Attack Particulars

Law enforcement stated at a news conference that they were called to a Starbucks in the Montreal suburb at about 10.30am on Wednesday because of alerts of a violent incident inside the establishment. An individual was fatally shot and two more individuals were wounded.

Deceased Individual

While authorities have not confirmed the victim's name, multiple Canadian media outlets have reported the man killed was a previously found guilty drug trafficker, 40, also known by an alias. The individual was the leader of a criminal group operating in the area.

Official Statements

The government representative said: "Everything points to it being an incident associated with criminal organizations."

The area's top officer advised media that while he could not speak specifically on the investigation, he knows the man killed due to his "reputation". "He is linked to organised crime," he said.

Previous Activities

The deceased was first linked officially to criminal activity in 2005 when law enforcement in Montreal arrested him and several accomplices in a narcotics distribution operation. He ended up confessing on substance charges and was given to a couple of years in prison.

According to reports, the individual was detained for a second time in the late 2000s, again for narcotics distribution, and was later handed to another 60 months in prison.

Expert Analysis

A criminology professor explained that organised crime in the area used to be characterised around maintaining control over open confrontations and relied on a clear hierarchical structure.

An brazen public killing at a public establishment suggests there may not be a major player keeping order – as aggression could impact operations when it comes to narcotics distribution, said the expert.

Organizational Breakdown

The analyst stated it is possible that the faction which targeted the criminal boss simply "did not care" about the open demonstration of aggression in order to eliminate their quarry.

But the expert said more plausible is there has been a loss of organization and authority within organised crime in Montreal, associated with significant detentions of the purported heads of local criminal networks made in June.

Major Apprehensions

After a multi-year investigation, police detained an suspected organized crime boss and indicted him with first-degree murder and other connected charges.

Present Circumstances

The latest apprehensions were considered as the ultimate "final straw" for the long-standing underworld hierarchy, said the analyst.

It has created a vacuum that newer criminal groups are looking to fill. The recent shooting is an signal of an volatile, fluid situation, he explained.

"We're seeing kind of this plethora of lesser, not highly structured gangs ... that are competing for control," he concluded.