Two women shot dead in Rivière-du-Loup parking lot

Two women were shot dead in the parking lot of a restaurant in Rivière-du-Loup, Que., late Thursday, and the Sûreté du Québec says it is treating both deaths as murders.

Residents called police after hearing gunshots on the evening of Oct. 22, according to La Tribune and Mon Témiscouata. Officers found the two women seriously wounded inside a vehicle in the parking lot of a Normandin restaurant, near boulevard Quartier and rue Plourde. One woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The other died later in hospital.

Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, a spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec, said the deaths are being considered murders, as reported by Mon Témiscouata. The force’s crimes against the person unit is leading the investigation. Police said the victims’ families will be notified once the women have been formally identified.

Mon Témiscouata reported the victims were aged 19 and 24. Police had not confirmed their identities or ages at the time of the reports.

No arrests had been made as of Friday morning, and the suspect or suspects were still at large, according to Le Devoir’s headline and La Tribune’s report. La Tribune said a targeted act is being considered as a possible motive. Radio-Canada reported, citing sources, that the victims may have been targeted by organized crime. Police have not confirmed that, and the information should be treated as unverified until investigators say more.

Rivière-du-Loup is a city of roughly 20,000 people in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Violent crime of this kind is rare there. La Tribune reported that, according to a member of the National Assembly, Ariane Boyer, the last murder in the area happened 13 years ago. Residents were described as being in shock on Friday morning.

The shooting was among the most searched Canadian news topics on Friday, with the city’s name trending in Google Trends Canada.

The Sûreté du Québec has not said whether it is looking for a specific vehicle or person, or whether it believes there is any ongoing risk to the public. Investigators were expected to continue their work at the scene and to release more information as the case develops.

Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the Sûreté du Québec. Police in the province also accept anonymous tips through Échec au crime.

The details in this report come from the Sûreté du Québec’s statements as relayed by Quebec media, including La Tribune, Mon Témiscouata, Le Devoir and Radio-Canada. Details may change as the investigation continues.