A man with ties to organized crime was killed and two others were seriously injured in a daylight shooting at a Starbucks in a busy strip mall in Laval, Que., which authorities said bore the hallmarks of a planned hit.
Radio-Canada sources have confirmed the victim was Charalambos Theologou, also known as Bobby the Greek. The two people injured in the shooting were members of his gang, the Chomedey Greeks.
Laval police rushed to the Starbucks, located at the corner of the Highway 440 service road and 100th Avenue, after receiving a 911 call at 10:30 a.m. reporting the shooting. At the time, the busy complex, which also features other restaurants and businesses, was packed with people.
Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière told reporters in Quebec City that one person had been killed and two others injured, but he said the shooting appeared to be a targeted one connected to organized crime and that he didn’t think any “innocent victims” had been harmed.
Theologou was known for his involvement and oversight of an extortion ring in Laval, according to Radio-Canada.
His criminal record includes multiple convictions for conspiracy, weapons charges and drug trafficking. He was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiracy and aggravated assault in 2007 and, shortly after he was released, to five years in prison for drug trafficking in 2010.
The shooting happened in Laval, Que., just north of Montreal. (Evelyne Gagnon/CBC)
Quebec MNA Christopher Skeete, who represents a riding in Laval, said in a post on X that he had learned of a shooting at a Starbucks.
“I have just learned that there has been a shooting in Laval near the Starbucks that I myself frequent quite often,” he said. “I urge citizens to avoid the area and know that I am monitoring the situation closely with my colleagues.”
This is a breaking news story that will be updated.