Two young Montrealers who were charged yesterday with three counts of attempted murder after they accidentally shot dead bystanders last week were equipped to commit real carnage.
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Heads held high and eyes relaxed, neither Dardy Lavaud nor Robby Valère seemed shaken by the accusations that rained down on them at the Montreal courthouse.
They have already been charged in firearms-related charges and no fewer than 11 charges have been added, including three for two attempted murders that took place 24 hours apart in the Rivière-des-Prairies sector.
Considering the dozens of bullets fired, it’s a wonder no one died.
In the first incident, a 20-year-old woman was driving down the street when, according to our information, she noticed a white Hyundai Elantra following her. And when she parked, her vehicle was riddled with bullets. She was alone in her vehicle.
In the middle of the street
According to our information, another 25-year-old woman, who was leaving a restaurant with a family member, was shot dead by suspects on foot the next day.
Another man who happened to be there was also targeted.
Apparently, the victims were chosen completely at random and all indications are that they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
courtesy pics
CCTV footage shows gunmen unloading guns in the middle of the street.
Images of this event, captured by surveillance cameras and consulted by Le Journal, send shivers down our spines: we see four people, armed with pistols and high-capacity magazines, who start ruthlessly shooting in the middle of the street.
Some footage indicates that one of the shooters was wearing a bulletproof vest, and they appear to have large spare magazines. These are illegal in Canada as they can hold 30 balls, which is triple the legal limit.
Two shooters on the run
The shooters then fled in a white Hyundai Elentra but were quickly pursued by police as they drove at high speed and ignored signs.
The driver then lost control of the vehicle. The shooters fled on foot and triggered a large-scale police operation. Only Lavaud and Valère were caught.
“We’re still looking for the other two,” said Raphaël Bergeron, spokesman for the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
long sentences
Lavaud and Valere were initially charged with illegal gun possession, but Montreal police investigations linked them to the two violent events over the past week.
With kind approval
Officers found a Glock Model 22 pistol, whose serial number had been defaced, with a high-capacity magazine that could hold 30 rounds.
In addition to attempted murder, they are also charged with firing a firearm with the aim of endangering people’s lives and possession of a prohibited device.
If convicted, they face a minimum of five years in prison, with the maximum penalty being life imprisonment.
Since the Crown has spoken out against bail, they will remain in preventive detention for the time being. They will appear in court next week.
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