The 27th homicide of the year may have been related to organized crime.

A 35-year-old man was shot dead Thursday night in Riviere des Prairies outside of the home he shared with his mother.

The man was of Haitian descent, was not known to police and did not have a criminal record, according to Montreal police.

The police force is not confirming the man's identity but La Presse is reporting his name is Ewald Etienne, and that he ran up debts with organized crime figures.

A 911 call came in around 8:30 p.m. Thursday evening concerning a man in distress outside a home on 63rd Ave. near Maurice Duplessis Blvd. in the Riviere des Prairies – Pointe aux Trembles borough.

The man's mother and girlfriend came running outside upon hearing the gunshot. 

He had been struck by at least one projectile in the upper body, according to Montreal police, who are now saying the killing was a targeted hit.

The man was rushed to hospital where he later died.

On Friday morning a friend of the family expressed shock and heartbreak at the news. “Imagine we come as immigrants, we work hard and raise our children and suddenly in the blink of an eye, we lose a 35-year-old son. We’re in pain,” a friend of the family told CTV Montreal.