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The brazen public execution of a prominent Montreal underworld figure inside a suburban Starbucks recently could suggest a developing, more unstable and reckless environment when it comes to organised crime, observers say.

Authority Gap Appearing

The arrests of suspected senior, veteran members of the local underworld in June has possibly created a vacuum – meaning emerging, junior gangs are striving to gain a foothold.

Violent Attack Particulars

Police said at a media update that they were called to a Starbucks in the Montreal suburb at about late morning on Wednesday because of reports of a gunfire inside the coffee shop. An individual was killed and two additional people were injured.

Targeted Person

While authorities have not officially identified the deceased's identity, multiple news organizations have indicated the man murdered was a previously found guilty narcotics dealer, forty, also known by an nickname. The individual was the head of a organization operating in the area.

Official Statements

The province's security official stated: "All evidence points to it being an act connected with criminal organizations."

The area's top officer advised media that while he could not speak specifically on the case, he recognizes the man targeted due to his "notoriety". "The individual was linked to criminal networks," he said.

Past Record

The targeted individual was first associated publicly to criminal activity in the mid-2000s when police in Montreal detained him and several accomplices in a illegal substance investigation. He ultimately admitting responsibility on drug-related charges and was given to 24 months in prison.

According to records, the man was apprehended for a subsequent occasion in over a decade ago, again for narcotics distribution, and was afterwards given to another 60 months in prison.

Professional Assessment

A academic specialist noted that underworld activities in the area used to be characterised around maintaining control over visible conflicts and depended on a clear leadership system.

An audacious public killing at a popular café points to there may not be a controlling entity maintaining control – as conflict could affect activities when it comes to narcotics distribution, explained the analyst.

Control Loss

The expert said it is plausible that the organization which eliminated the underworld figure simply "were unconcerned" about the visible exhibition of violence in order to neutralize their objective.

But the expert believes more probable is there has been a loss of organization and authority within underworld activities in Montreal, related to major arrests of the purported leaders of local criminal networks made in June.

Major Apprehensions

After a three-year inquiry, law enforcement arrested an suspected criminal organization head and indicted him with killing and other associated charges.

Current Situation

The recent detentions were seen as the ultimate "decisive blow" for the established organized crime, noted the expert.

It has resulted in a vacuum that newer street gangs are striving to take over. The recent shooting is an indication of an uncertain, evolving situation, he noted.

"There is kind of this multitude of minor, not highly structured gangs ... that are competing for control," he remarked.