Two arrested after shots fired in Montreal’s Plateau

Police have taken two men, aged 16 and 20, into custody after shots were fired at a commercial establishment in Montreal’s Plateau–Mont-Royal area early Wednesday.

Police say they began receiving numerous 911 calls around 2:30 a.m. regarding gunshots on Saint-Laurent Blvd. near Prince-Arthur Street. When officers arrived, no individuals involved were present, but investigators located multiple shell casings as well as damage to the building’s front window.

“When police arrived on the scene, no victim or suspect was located,” said SPVM spokesperson Caroline Chèvrefils. “More than one shell casing was found on the ground, and more than one projectile impact was found on the business’s front window.”

A security perimeter was put in place as officers examined the scene.

“According to the first information, the gunshots would have been fired by one or more suspects who fled the scene before police arrived,” Chèvrefils added.

Chèvrefils noted that “While fleeing in a van, the suspects had a collision with several vehicles that were parked.”

The pair were later arrested close to the intersection of Louis-Hébert Ave. and Beaubien Street.

“They were transported to a detention center where they were met by investigators to understand their involvement with the gunshots,” said Jean-Pierre Brabant, spokesperson, Montreal Police (SPVM).

“So far, the investigation is still ongoing,” added Brabant. “We had investigators that were called to do some verification around the area. We had a K9 unit too that was called for searches to try and find any elements that could help investigators understand or link those two individuals to the gunshots. So at this moment, there was no one that was injured.”