Suspects arrested in relation to separate shootings in western Montreal boroughs
Montreal police (SPVM) has arrested two people in relation to two separate shooting incidents in the western boroughs of the city.
One of the shootings occurred in the borough of LaSalle on July 7; the other took place in Saint-Laurent on July 11.
"The two events are not related," the force emphasizes. "A third suspect, not related to the two previous events, was also arrested for possession of a prohibited weapon following information received."
According to police, at 2:49 p.m. on July 7, 2021, a driver pulled his Range Rover pulled into the parking lot of his passenger's home.
While the driver was still in the vehicle, the suspect, Hammed Berberi, 25, allegedly got out of his black Mercedes, pointed his firearm and said to the driver: "money, money, money."
The victim then fled the scene. Police say the suspect chased him, firing several shots and hitting him with a projectile.
Berberi was arrested on July 22 and remains in custody.
"A .22 calibre handgun was also seized at the time of his arrest," Montreal police said. "He appeared in court and is facing charges of attempted murder, breach of probation and possession of a prohibited firearm."
In a separate incident on July 11, a dispute broke out between two people.
"After discussion, they agreed to meet in the Saint-Laurent area," Montreal police explain. "The victim got into the suspect's vehicle. The suspect's abnormal behaviour made the victim fear that something was about to happen. As the suspect turned towards the back of the vehicle to retrieve an object, the victim got out, but was shot in the back."
The suspect, Mehdi Mohamed Zaoui, 32, was arrested on July 15 in the Toronto area by York Regional Police.
He appeared in court on charges of attempted murder, discharging a firearm and breach of a restraining order; he remains in custody.
In addition, on July 23, Montreal police arrested Nathaniel Pierre, 36, following a tip from the public.
"A search warrant for his residence, as well as two vehicles, was then executed," the force said. "A loaded .12-gauge sawed-off firearm was found inside one of the vehicles, as well as five rounds of ammunition."
Pierre appeared in court on various charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm and carrying a weapon for dangerous purposes.
These arrests are the latest in the force's attempt to "make gun violence a priority."
Anyone with information about these or any other violent crimes is asked to contact Info-Crime Montreal anonymously and confidentially at 514 393-1133 or online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.