, @ MURDER OF SALVATORE SCOPPA "CHILDREN WERE RUNNING EVERYWHERE, PEOPLE WERE HIDING IN THE TOILETS"
DANIEL RENAUD THE PRESS Mafia Salvatore Scoppa crawled to the front door of the Sheraton Hotel in Laval, trying to flee the murderer who finished it in front of several horrified and panicked witnesses who ran out of the lobby before hide in the toilet, where they dialed 911.
"Children were running everywhere. Some people thought he was an active shooter and took refuge in the washrooms, where they contacted relief workers. There were a lot of calls to 911, "said a police source.
The Scoppa family held a family party at the Sheraton on Saturday night. Around 10 pm, while he was with another man in the hotel lobby, Scoppa was attacked by two individuals as he headed for a door.
According to our information, Scoppa would have received a first projectile before collapsing on the ground. He later tried to flee, crawling, and avoid the balls rolling on himself, but his attacker would have followed him by firing a dozen other shots on him, including the head.
The scene was filmed by surveillance cameras of the hotel. The suspects, who would have acted methodically and very coolly, fled in a dark SUV, before disappearing into the night on Highway 15.
TAKEN BY SURPRISE
Scoppa would have been totally taken by surprise. A man who accompanied him would not have had time to intervene. Everything was a matter of endless seconds.
"It may sound like the work of professionals, but it can be done in two ways: the killers still acted in front of several witnesses, in the lobby of a hotel. It does not seem like a trap. They knew that the Scoppa family had a party and they decided to take action. It is likely a crime of opportunity. "
- A police source
It is a member of Scoppa's family who made the reservation, according to our sources.
At the time of writing, the identity of the suspects, or their belonging to a group, was not confirmed. According to our information, the shooter was wearing a dark coat and pale trousers.
When help arrived, Salvatore Scoppa had no vital signs. He was transported to the hospital, where his death was noticed shortly thereafter. Guests at the hotel had to be treated for nervous shock.
A TARGETED MAN
Mafia Salvatore Scoppa is the brother of the former acting leader of the Montreal Mafia Andrew Scoppa.
Salvatore Scoppa escaped an attempted murder a little over two years ago, in February 2017, in Terrebonne. A man had opened fire at him, wounding him in one arm, while Scoppa was coming out of a restaurant and getting into his vehicle. An alleged hitman, Frederick Silva, was arrested by police last February and is currently charged with this attempted murder.
During the discussion between Stefano Sollecito, Leonardo Rizzuto and gang leader Gregory Woolley, the latter discussed the possibility of eliminating Scoppa and "putting a bullet in his chest" in order to "maintain control of the territory" and to "keep the city". But the younger son of the late godfather Vito Rizzuto had objected.
On more than one occasion, Salvatore Scoppa was notified by the police that his life was threatened. At one point, he even fled to Mexico.
In 2016, three close to the Rizzuto clan, Lorenzo Giordano, Rocco Sollecito and Vincenzo Spagnolo, were killed and police sources told La Presse that they suspected that Salvatore Scoppa could be involved in at least one of these crimes, although this has never been proven.
However, since the situation stabilized in Montreal and the storm is brewing on the Ontario side, the name of Salvatore Scoppa, who was nicknamed "Mental in the Criminal", was less on the lips. He was still active, however, according to police sources.
But in the mafia, revenge is exerted just when you least expect it. Scoppa may have been on guard since Silva was behind bars.
The Scoppa have long been considered to be at the head of one of the most influential clans in the Montreal mafia. In 2016, the police regarded Salvatore's brother, Andrew, as the acting head of the mafia. Andrew was arrested and charged with possession of a hundred kilograms of cocaine in 2017, but he was granted a stop in the court process.
The murder of Salvatore Scoppa could provoke a stir in the Montreal mafia.
IN DRUGS AND OTHER CRIMES
In recent years, police have testified in court about alleged involvement of Salvatore Scoppa in drug trafficking and violent crime.
In December 2016, at the time of the trial of a gang leader, an investigator of the SPVM, Érick Lacoursière, had spoken of Scoppa while, during his testimony, it was about the murder of Marco Campellone, 24, committed in September 2015 to Montreal. The murder of the latter, however, has not been elucidated to date and no one has been charged.
"One source tells us that this gang leader is doing contracts and collecting for organized crime, especially for Salvatore Scoppa. These are basically contracts of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, arson, home invasion and robbery, "said the witness Lacoursière.
