Laval Police Chief (SPL) Pierre Brochet said the victim may be linked to the Flamehead Boys gang, a group that operates in Laval territory.
He did not confirm whether the victims are connected to Montmorency College.  The shooting occurred in a park near the school, prompting a lockdown for those inside the building.
Brochet said police teams have been deployed to track down the suspect.
He also assured the public that the area around the college is now safe, urging members of the public to contact the SPL with any information related to the investigation.
He offered his “honest thoughts” to the students and faculty who lived through a “night of anguish.”
It is not the first time such attacks have occurred in Laval, Brose said, pointing to a “wave of incidents” related to organized crime.
“We’ve increased the police department’s investigations budget by $1.2 million a year to ensure there are enough investigators working on files related to firearms and street gangs,” he said.  
People are seen inside Montmorency College in Laval, Que., Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, where three people were shot in a park near the college.  THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

CALLS FOR MORE POLICE FUNDING

The mayor of Laval, Stephane Boyer, was also at the press conference.  He said he asked Quebec Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel for more support from the government.
“I was on the phone […] to ask him for financial support from Quebec, as Montreal has received in recent weeks,” he said.  “We would like to receive the same support so that our police have all the tools at their disposal to stop these crime waves.  “
The city also plans to build a new $60 million police station in the heart of Chomedey, the “hottest” crime-ridden neighborhood in Laval, according to the mayor.
The neighborhoods of Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau also have a high concentration of guns, Brochet added.
When asked about the actions the city has taken, Boyer said Laval has received $5 million for prevention.  In addition, a multi-party committee is currently meeting with many stakeholders and organizations to manage the public safety issue.
“I’d like to see more police on the street, more people doing surveillance to track suspects and gather information. I’d like to see more investigators, to make sure all the information they need for investigations is collected,” he said.
In addition to investing in the police force, the mayor said he wants to allocate money from the city budget to social development agencies — funding that traditionally comes from the federal government.
“We’re talking about a few million dollars,” he said.  “We are ready to go further and break that paradigm to support the organizations’ mission.”
Boyer said the city plans to work closely with community organizations to reduce the number of youth involved in crime.

CLEAR THE COLLEGE

The lockdown at Montmorency College ended shortly after midnight on Friday.  About 500 students and staff were locked out for several hours.
Four people were injured Friday afternoon after a shooting at a nearby park.  Three of them fled inside the college, causing confusion and panic, and a lockdown was imposed.
“Around 9:30 last night, we quietly started to block classes in groups of 20 to 25 students. It was about 500 people, students and staff, to leave the college and after midnight we managed to get them all out,” he said. .  SPL spokesperson Geneviève Major.
Two 20-year-old men and a 19-year-old man were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.  A fourth person suffered minor shrapnel injuries and was treated at the scene.  Their lives are not in danger.
“At least one of the victims, a man in his 20s, is known to our departments to have a history of violence. At this time, the relationship between the victims and the suspect has not yet been determined at the investigative level,” said Maj.  .
Quebec Premier Francois Legot tweeted Friday night and said his government is closely monitoring the situation.
“The shooting near Montmorency College is concerning. François Bonnardel is in contact with law enforcement,” Lego said in a tweet.  “My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. We will relentlessly fight gun violence on our streets to keep Quebec a safe place.”
Students and staff at another Quebec college were placed on lockdown earlier in the day.
On Friday morning in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Montérégie, a 19-year-old man wearing a bulletproof vest was arrested at a college and charged with making threats.  The school was put on lockdown.  No one was injured.
There does not appear to be any connection between the two events. 
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on November 12, 2022.