Outremont residents are concerned after the murder of a young man early Sunday near a park in the normally quiet borough of Montreal.
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“We’re a little shocked, I’ve lived here my whole life and never thought I’d see a crime scene,” says Voula Kaffetzopolos, a resident of Wiseman Avenue, which is across the street from where the drama took place. My 20 year old son is used to coming home late but feels less safe now. »
At around 12:35 a.m. Sunday, a 19-year-old young man was stabbed to death near John F. Kennedy Park on Ducharme Avenue.
According to initial information from the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), the attack would have been preceded by a dispute.
The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition and eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Contrary to what was reported earlier in the day, the young man was “already known to the police,” confirmed SPVM spokesman Julien Lévesque to the Journal.
The security cordon set up by police around the crime scene was lifted just before noon.
“The forensic identification technicians have completed the work on site,” assures Julien Lévesque. So far, no suspect has been arrested. »
Observed the beginnings
Photo Youri Nabbad
Fiona MacGillivray and Matt Pike were surprised by the police operation.
Residents who gathered around John F. Kennedy Park said several incidents had been observed recently.
“We’ve been seeing groups of about thirty young people in the park for a few months,” said Michel Saint-Martin, who has lived in the area for 20 years. On Halloween night, the police intervened to disperse them. It started when the neighborhood station closed. »
The same goes for Guillaume Boxo, recently installed in the area.
“After midnight, when the park closes, several people get together to hang out or sell drugs,” he says. I’ve lived here for six months and I’ve seen the police intervene three or four times already. »
If the majority of the citizens met also declared that they had noticed late regroupings in the sector, no one could have imagined that a murder could have taken place there.
“Outremont is such a safe and family-friendly neighborhood, it’s really surprising that they have police like this,” said Fiona MacGillivray, who lives across the street from the park where the tragedy happened.
The investigation was transferred to the Serious Crimes Unit of the SPVM.
This is the 33rd murder on the island of Montreal since the beginning of the year.
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