Shocking, stressful: Montrealers react to fatal broad-daylight shootings

Montrealers are still processing the two broad-daylight shootings Tuesday that saw both victims die in hospital.

The shock of the two shootings just eight kilometres apart and within 30 minutes of each other is still being felt in Montreal.

One happened in the parking lot of the Rockland shopping mall. The other was at Napoli Pizzeria on St. Denis Street in downtown Montreal.

BACKGROUND: Two men now dead after being shot in broad daylight: at Rockland Shopping Centre and at pizzeria Napoli

For Vincenzo Montuori, the owner of the pizzeria, it all happened far too close to home.

“The pistol went bang,” he recounted.” I was in the back and I said, ‘OK, it doesn’t matter.’ And my granddaughter came in the back and said ‘ahhhh.’

“I feel bad because it was my customer, he was a good boy, for me. I feel not very well. My granddaughter is not coming to work, I have to open at three o’clock now. They shot one person, and now they shot the restaurant.”

Napoli pizzeria owner Vincenzo Montuori on Aug. 25, 2022. (Credit: CityNews/Alyssia Rubertucci)

Others in the area also expressed shock at being so close to a fatal shooting.

“It’s just so shocking because, like, you were in class and you just got out and you see the police everywhere, and you’re like, ‘what was happening,’ said student Naisha Jean. “You thought you were safe, but you were not. Like, it’s kind of stressful.”

Added Aziz Zoubi, the owner of nearby barbershop UpCuts: “Now with shootings, we don’t even know the reasons why, but it’s breaking out everywhere and it’s affecting us.”

For many on St. Denis Street, the violence is a first and they fear it’ll only hurt business in the area.

“If we are safe, we will go there. If we’re not safe, it’s just that: we’ll change the destination,” said Zoubi.

Former RCMP officers Alain Babineau says the perceived rise in gun crime in part of cyclical violence.

“You have these episodes of increased violence and criminality, really, that has been happening periodically,” said Babineau. “But if you look at it from a bigger perspective, I think that Montreal remains a very safe, larger urban centre.”

#WATCH: “You thought you were safe but you’re not,” says student Naisha Jean, who was leaving class Tuesday when she saw the police perimeter on St.-Denis, later learning a man was shot and killed at a restaurant. She says the situation is shocking.

READ: https://t.co/j15kiCR44j pic.twitter.com/aPp9s0EoAR

— Alyssia (@rubertuccinews) August 25, 2022

The premier of Quebec and mayor of Montreal both denounced the shootings.

“Montreal won’t become a shooting range,” said Premier Francois Legault. Mayor Valerie Plante said the city “will not be a criminal’s playground.”

Babineau is not convinced political statements will have a direct effect on reducing crime.

“I would be very doubtful if the criminal element would be scared of the mayor’s threat and warnings,” he said. “I would be extremely surprised that they, if they even know about it, would care one way or the other.”

On n’acceptera pas, comme gouvernement, que Montréal devienne un champ de tir pour les gangs. https://t.co/N2WF9T0j3u

— François Legault (@francoislegault) August 24, 2022

At Napoli Pizzeria, Montuori says he wasn’t too phased by the incident and will operate his business as usual.

“Because in Italy, I saw many things in the war in 1944,” he said.

But others are demanding change.

“I know that the SPVM is doing its job, but more is needed…” said Zoubi. “We want to live in peace. We want a city with a soul, a city without violence, a welcoming city.”