đŸ”— Share this article Assassination of Crime Boss in Quebec Starbucks Suggests Change to Bold Methods, Note Organized Crime Analysts The brazen daylight killing of a influential Montreal underworld figure inside a suburban Starbucks this week could indicate a new, more volatile and brash landscape when it comes to underworld activities, observers say. Authority Gap Emerging The apprehensions of purported high-ranking, veteran members of the city's organized crime in June has likely resulted in a vacuum – meaning upcoming, less experienced gangs are attempting to secure territory. Fatal Encounter Details Police reported at a media update that they were summoned to a Starbucks in the Quebec municipality at about late morning on Wednesday because of reports of a gunfire inside the establishment. A single individual was murdered and two additional people were hurt. Targeted Person While police have not verified the victim's name, several news organizations have said the man fatally shot was a previously found guilty drug trafficker, four decades old, also known by an nickname. The person was the chief of a criminal group operating in the area. Official Statements The Quebec's public security minister commented: "Everything points to it being an incident linked to underworld activities." The law enforcement leader advised media that while he could not provide details on the ongoing probe, he knows the man killed due to his "reputation". "The individual was linked to criminal networks," he said. Previous Activities The targeted individual was first linked publicly to criminal activity in 2005 when law enforcement in Montreal apprehended him and six others in a illegal substance probe. He eventually admitting responsibility on narcotics charges and was sentenced to a couple of years in prison. According to reports, the person was detained for a subsequent occasion in 2009, again for drug trafficking, and was afterwards handed to another half-decade in prison. Criminologist Perspective A criminology professor noted that criminal organizations in the area used to be defined around exercising restraint over public violence and relied on a defined chain of command. An bold midday assassination at a coffee shop chain suggests there may not be a controlling entity maintaining control – as aggression could impact operations when it comes to narcotics distribution, explained the specialist. Organizational Breakdown The expert suggested it is conceivable that the organization which attacked the gang leader simply "showed disregard" about the public display of aggression in order to eliminate their objective. But the analyst thinks more probable is there has been a decline of organization and authority within underworld activities in Montreal, associated with major apprehensions of the purported chiefs of Montreal's mafia made in June. Key Detentions After a 36-month probe, police detained an purported criminal organization head and accused him with first-degree murder and other related crimes. Current Situation The recent apprehensions were seen as the ultimate "nail in the coffin" for the traditional underworld hierarchy, noted the analyst. It has left a vacuum that newer criminal groups are attempting to occupy. The recent shooting is an signal of an unstable, fluid environment, he noted. "We're seeing kind of this multitude of small, not highly structured gangs ... that are vying for power," he concluded.