Montreal teen Tarique Leger shot dead in Ottawa's 9th homicide of 2016
More than 30 shootings in Ottawa in 2016 , including 7 fatal shootings
A neighbour described seeing two cars drive away after Montreal teenager was shot dead on his block of St. Andrew Street, just east of King Edward Avenue, in Ottawa early Sunday morning.
Ottawa police have identified the ninth homicide victim of 2016 as 19-year-old Tarique Leger. There are currently no suspects in custody.
Ottawa police believe Leger was visiting from Montreal, where he is known to police.
Lowertown resident says it seems there's more violence in Ottawa as police investigate 9th homicide of 2016 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ottnews?src=hash">#ottnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/eu1rjUsvjG">pic.twitter.com/eu1rjUsvjG</a>
—@CBCOttawaPolice were called to a brick apartment building at 292 St. Andrew St., on reports of multiple shots fired just before 4 a.m., according to police.
'Metallic crack' heard early Sunday
Gilles Sarault, who lives next door, heard the gunshots and looked out the blinds of his ground-floor bedroom. He said he saw two cars drive away from St. Andrew Street as a man's body lay on the pavement.
"I couldn't go back to sleep right away. It's scary when you see things like that happen," he said.
Police said the man was transported to hospital but died of his injuries.
Rhiannon Vogl, another neighbour, said she heard a "metallic crack" when she woke up to use the bathroom just before 4 a.m. but didn't think anything of it since she lives on a "quiet, residential" block of St. Andrew Street.
She was surprised to see police were still there when she woke up in the morning.
"You never feel unsafe here," she said. "It's horrible and it's sad, but I also think that right now there's also such a culture of fear. You have to, I don't know, not let your life be run by this kind of fear."
'Not a typical crime'
"I think the time of the incident always gives an indicator," he said, adding that Crime Prevention Ottawa and neighbourhood groups will work together to keep residents informed as more information is known about the fatal shooting.
Police have not released any other details about the investigation, but are asking anyone with information to call 613-236-1222, ext. 5493
There have been more than 30 shootings in Ottawa this year, including seven fatal shootings.
The fact that Ottawa has had nine homicides so far this year — compared to just seven last year — is a source of "concern," said Mayor Jim Watson, but he added that it's important to "put it in context that Ottawa is one of the safest cities in North America."