ð Share this article Assassination of Gang Leader in Canadian Starbucks Suggests Transition to Bold Strategies, Note Organized Crime Analysts The bold midday assassination of a influential Montreal underworld figure inside a suburban Starbucks this week could suggest a emerging, more chaotic and reckless landscape when it comes to organised crime, observers say. Power Vacuum Emerging The detentions of purported top-level, established members of the city's organized crime in June has likely resulted in a void â meaning emerging, younger gangs are attempting to secure territory. Fatal Encounter Details Law enforcement stated at a media update that they were summoned to a Starbucks in the Montreal suburb at about mid-morning on Wednesday because of notifications of a violent incident inside the establishment. One man was fatally shot and two more individuals were wounded. Victim Identification While authorities have not verified the victim's name, several news organizations have indicated the man fatally shot was a sentenced illegal substance distributor, forty, also known by an alias. The man was the head of a criminal group operating in the area. Authority Comments The Quebec's public security minister said: "Available information suggests it being an event associated with underworld activities." The local police chief advised media that while he could not provide details on the investigation, he is familiar with the man deceased due to his "notoriety". "This person is connected to organised crime," he noted. Past Record The deceased was first linked publicly to illegal operations in 2005 when authorities in Montreal detained him and six others in a drug trafficking investigation. He ultimately pleading guilty on narcotics charges and was received to 24 months in prison. According to documents, the individual was arrested for a second time in 2009, again for illegal substance sales, and was later given to another half-decade in prison. Expert Analysis A university expert said that underworld activities in the area used to be defined around maintaining control over visible conflicts and counted on a clear chain of command. An brazen midday assassination at a coffee shop chain suggests there may not be a dominant force maintaining control â as violence could harm operations when it comes to drug trafficking, commented the specialist. Organizational Breakdown The expert stated it is conceivable that the organization which targeted the underworld figure simply "did not care" about the public display of force in order to neutralize their objective. But the criminologist believes more likely is there has been a decline of structure and authority within organised crime in Montreal, associated with substantial apprehensions of the suspected heads of Montreal's mafia made in June. Key Detentions After a 36-month investigation, authorities detained an purported mafia leader and charged him with first-degree murder and other connected charges. Current Situation The latest apprehensions were viewed as the ultimate "decisive blow" for the long-standing criminal structure, said the analyst. It has left a vacuum that younger street gangs are attempting to occupy. The latest incident is an indication of an volatile, evolving environment, he explained. "We have kind of this plethora of lesser, not highly structured gangs ... that are vying for control," he said.