Police think Montreal teenage shooting death could be part of 'scoring' trend
Montreal police investigating the shooting death of 16-year-old Thomas Trudel say they think that the teen might have been the victim of a trend called "scoring."
"People will set an objective and they're going to brag about it on social media that they accomplished an exploit," said Montreal police deputy director Vincent Richer. "That's what scoring is."
Young gang members or wannabe gang members will settle scores this way, he said -- and hit innocent victims based solely on where they live.
Police say they do it to mark their territory, and, as the name implies, score points for their gang.
In Trudel's case, the youth wasn’t known to be involved in any gang or criminal activities, and police had said he may have been picked at random.
La Presse reported that seconds before he was shot, Trudel was asked by a stranger what school he went to.
The idea of "scoring" brings with it a type of indiscriminate violence that even hardened lifelong criminals try to avoid.
"It's different from the past because before, we used to have crime syndicates that were very precise," said Richer.
Youth workers in Montreal North, Saint-Leonard, and Saint-Michel, where Trudel was killed, say Montreal could become a very troubling place if scoring takes hold.
"Your enemy, instead of going after you, will go after your neighbour or someone from your school, or who hangs out in the same park as you," said St-Michel Youth Forum coordinator Mohamed Mimoune.
Easy access to guns in this context, he said, becomes devastating.
"They don't have the maturity or the empathy at that age," said Mimoune.
The City of Montreal and SPVM say they are now forced to think outside the box when looking for a solution. They've announced an upcoming forum on gun violence in January to get to the root of the problem.
“It's about some opportunities that some people have," said Mayor Valerie Plante. "Some youth have more opportunities than others -- why is it so? A more equal society faces turbulences better."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.