Assassination of Underworld Figure in Canadian Starbucks Suggests Change to Brazen Methods, Say Criminologists

The audacious daylight killing of a influential Quebec gang leader inside a peripheral Starbucks lately could suggest a developing, more unstable and brash environment when it comes to organised crime, observers say.

Power Vacuum Appearing

The arrests of suspected top-level, older members of the local underworld in June has possibly created a chasm – meaning newer, less experienced gangs are striving to secure territory.

Fatal Encounter Particulars

Law enforcement stated at a media update that they were dispatched to a Starbucks in the Montreal suburb at about late morning on Wednesday because of alerts of a violent incident inside the establishment. One man was killed and two more individuals were hurt.

Victim Identification

While police have not verified the deceased's identity, multiple Canadian media outlets have said the man fatally shot was a convicted illegal substance distributor, four decades old, also known by an street name. The individual was the chief of a criminal group operating in the area.

Authority Comments

The Quebec's public security minister stated: "All evidence indicates it being an event linked to criminal organizations."

The law enforcement leader advised reporters that while he could not comment on the investigation, he recognizes the man targeted due to his "reputation". "The individual was linked to organised crime," he added.

Criminal History

The victim was first associated publicly to criminal activity in 2005 when police in Montreal arrested him and several accomplices in a drug trafficking operation. He eventually pleading guilty on substance charges and was sentenced to two years in prison.

According to reports, the person was apprehended for a second time in the late 2000s, again for illegal substance sales, and was later handed to another 60 months in prison.

Criminologist Perspective

A academic specialist said that underworld activities in the area used to be defined around showing discretion over public violence and counted on a defined hierarchical structure.

An brazen public killing at a popular café points to there may not be a major player enforcing rules – as aggression could affect business when it comes to illegal substance trade, explained the expert.

Structural Collapse

The analyst said it is conceivable that the organization which eliminated the criminal boss simply "were unconcerned" about the visible exhibition of force in order to neutralize their target.

But the expert thinks more likely is there has been a decline of organization and authority within organised crime in Montreal, connected with major detentions of the purported heads of local criminal networks made in June.

Leadership Arrests

After a multi-year probe, authorities took into custody an suspected mafia leader and charged him with homicide and other related offences.

Existing Conditions

The latest arrests were viewed as the final "final straw" for the traditional criminal structure, noted the expert.

It has resulted in a void that emerging criminal groups are striving to fill. The latest incident is an indication of an volatile, changing landscape, he said.

"We're seeing kind of this abundance of small, not highly structured gangs ... that are fighting for dominance," he concluded.