OTTAWA, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- A man with ties to organized crime was killed and two others were seriously injured in a shooting at a Starbucks in Laval, Canada's Quebec province, on Wednesday morning.
The shooting occurred around 10:30 a.m. local time at a commercial complex located at the corner of the Highway 440 service road and 100th Avenue, which was crowded at the time, local media reported.
According to Radio-Canada, the deceased has been identified as Charalambos Theologou, also known as "Bobby the Greek." The two injured individuals are believed to be members of his gang, the Chomedey Greeks.
Quebec's Public Security Minister Ian Lafreniere said that all indications suggest the shooting was a targeted attack linked to organized crime and that he did not believe any "innocent victims" were harmed.
"Still, happening in a Starbucks, at 10:30 in the morning, this is not something I'm happy about," the local minister said, adding that the government would maintain pressure on organized crime.
Records show that Theologou had a significant criminal history, with multiple convictions for conspiracy, weapons charges and drug trafficking. He was sentenced to four years in prison in 2007 and another five years in 2010 for drug trafficking, according to reports.
The Surete du Quebec (SQ), the provincial police force, has now taken over the investigation. No arrests have been made, local media reported.
