Man fatally shot in Laval had links to organized crime, drug trafficking: reports

An investigation is underway Tuesday after a 66-year-old man was found shot and killed in a commercial parking lot.

Laval police (SPL) were called to the scene near Laval's Highway 440 around 7:45 a.m. There, in the parking lot of a business called Centre Ceramique 440, they discovered the victim's body.

The man was pronounced dead on site.

Multiple reports say he was Vincenzo Armeni, who was known to police. His identity is yet to be officially confirmed by law enforcement, but a spokesperson for provincial police (SQ) said they've taken over the investigation because it's related to organized crime.  

"The investigators are doing everything possible to find evidence on the scene," said spokesperson Catherine Bernard, adding that no arrests have been made so far.

Laval police (SPL) are investigating after a man's body was discovered in the parking lot of a business near Highway 440 on Oct. 25, 2022. (Rob Lurie/CTV News)

BURNED-OUT VEHICLE NEARBY

Police also found a burned-out SUV in a field not far from an abandoned home on 71st Avenue, near the Lachapelle Bridge.

It's not clear yet if the vehicle is related to the shooting or not. The major crimes squad is investigating both scenes.

A NEAR-20 YEAR SENTENCE

Prior to his death, Vincenzo Armeni had served a 19-years for drug trafficking. 

While incarcerated at Archambault Institution, he wrote a letter published in the Journal of Prisoners on Prisons (JPP) that critized the institution's living conditions and argued for reduced life sentences and better prisoner pay. 

He also demanded a gradual release for himself, "so that I can better prepare myself for my eventual return to the community."

The journal is published by the University of Ottawa press. 

This is a developing story. More to come.

With files from CTV News Montreal's Rob Lurie