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The brazen midday assassination of a notable Montreal underworld figure inside a peripheral Starbucks lately could signal a developing, more chaotic and aggressive climate when it comes to organised crime, experts note.

Power Vacuum Appearing

The arrests of purported high-ranking, established members of Montreal's mafia in June has likely resulted in a void – meaning emerging, younger gangs are attempting to establish themselves.

Fatal Encounter Information

Law enforcement reported at a news conference that they were called to a Starbucks in the Montreal suburb at about late morning on Wednesday because of alerts of a gunfire inside the coffee shop. One man was murdered and two others were hurt.

Deceased Individual

While police have not verified the target's name, multiple Canadian media outlets have said the man fatally shot was a convicted narcotics dealer, 40, also known by an alias. The person was the chief of a gang operating in the area.

Authority Comments

The province's security official commented: "Everything points to it being an incident linked to underworld activities."

The local police chief informed media that while he could not provide details on the investigation, he knows the man targeted due to his "reputation". "This person is connected to organised crime," he said.

Criminal History

The deceased was first associated officially to criminal activity in 2005 when authorities in Montreal arrested him and several accomplices in a drug trafficking probe. He ended up admitting responsibility on narcotics charges and was sentenced to a couple of years in prison.

According to documents, the person was arrested for a later instance in 2009, again for narcotics distribution, and was subsequently handed to another five years in prison.

Criminologist Perspective

A criminology professor noted that organised crime in the area used to be characterised around showing discretion over visible conflicts and depended on a established leadership system.

An bold public killing at a popular café indicates there may not be a dominant force keeping order – as conflict could impact business when it comes to drug trafficking, commented the specialist.

Organizational Breakdown

The analyst stated it is conceivable that the organization which eliminated the criminal boss simply "showed disregard" about the visible exhibition of violence in order to neutralize their target.

But the expert thinks more plausible is there has been a erosion of structure and control within organised crime in Montreal, related to major apprehensions of the alleged heads of Montreal's mafia made in June.

Major Apprehensions

After a multi-year investigation, law enforcement arrested an purported mafia leader and accused him with homicide and other related offences.

Current Situation

The latest arrests were viewed as the last "decisive blow" for the established underworld hierarchy, said the analyst.

It has left a hole that younger criminal groups are attempting to take over. The latest incident is an indication of an volatile, changing landscape, he noted.

"We have kind of this abundance of minor, not super well-organised gangs ... that are fighting for dominance," he concluded.