The three young men were arrested after the van they were in was pursued by police.
Three men were arrested after someone fired shots at a building in Old Montreal owned by the man who owns the two buildings where a total of nine people have died in fires since March of last year.
Besides owning the building, the address is also the one Benamor lists as his law office with the Quebec Bar Association. Montreal police crime scene technicians could be seen outside the building Wednesday morning and it appeared more than a dozen shots were fired. The technicians placed markings on 17 spots on the building where it was apparently damaged by bullets and they placed 16 tiny flags on the pavement indicating the locations of spent shell casings.
On Tuesday, the Montreal police said they are still investigating last week’s fire and the DPCP confirmed that two investigations by the Montreal police into the fire at Place d’Youville “are under study” to determine if criminal charges will be filed.
Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant said that, just before midnight Tuesday, many calls were made to 911. The callers reported hearing gunshots near the corner of Berri St and St-Antoine St., near Viger Square in the borough of Ville-Marie.
“According to information obtained by witnesses, it seems that a white van was seen fleeing rapidly following the gunshots. That vehicle was located and intercepted by police officers at René Lévesque (Blvd.) near Saguinet St.,” Brabant said. “Once the vehicle came to a stop, it started to move again heading west on René-Lévesque before being stopped again at the corner of Hôtel-de-Ville Ave. and Boisbriand St.”
Three men, aged 17, 19 and 20, were arrested. When the vehicle was searched, police found a firearm inside.
The trio were taken in for questioning.