Montreal police are investigating a potential shooting and vehicle fire saturday that prompted a security lockdown at the Rivière-des-Prairies Detention Center. While no direct evidence of gunfire has yet been found, the incidents have raised concerns about potential criminal activity within the facility, particularly given the presence of several alleged Mafia members currently awaiting trial on murder and conspiracy charges. authorities are working to determine if the two events are linked and whether they represent a breach of security.
Montreal police are investigating a potential shooting and a vehicle fire that occurred Saturday near the Rivière-des-Prairies Detention Centre, prompting a security lockdown of the facility. The incidents raise concerns about possible criminal activity involving inmates, including alleged members of the Rizzuto mafia clan.
Police received the first call around 2 p.m. Saturday, reporting sounds resembling gunfire in the vicinity of the detention center on Armand-Chaput Avenue. Shortly after, at 4:30 p.m., authorities were alerted to a burning vehicle a short distance away, at the intersection of Gouin Boulevard and Trefflé-Berthiaume Street.
As a precautionary measure, correctional officers confined inmates within the Montreal Detention Centre following the initial reports. The lockdown allowed authorities to assess the situation and ensure the safety of both staff and prisoners.
“At this time, no scene has been located, and no shell casings or bullet impacts have been found,” Montreal Police spokesperson Emmanuel Couture stated three hours after the first report.
Investigators continued to search the area Saturday evening, utilizing patrol vehicles and a drone to determine the validity of the initial gunfire report. The damaged vehicle, which sustained considerable fire damage, was towed for examination.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
A Montreal Police drone searches the area.
Sources indicate that several prominent figures associated with the Sicilian Montreal mafia were in the prison’s S-1 and S-2 pavilions at the time of the incidents, reportedly lying on the ground immediately after the sounds were heard. The investigation is ongoing to determine if the two events are connected.
Among those reportedly present were Leonardo Rizzuto, son of the late Montreal mafia boss Jean-Richard Larivière, along with Daniel Guarna, Vito Salvaggio, Davide Barberio, and Pierry Philogène. All were arrested on June 12 as part of the first phase of “Operation Alliance,” launched following information provided by a former organized crime hitman, Frédérick Silva.
The individuals are currently facing charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder and are awaiting trial. The case underscores the ongoing challenges authorities face in combating organized crime within correctional facilities.
