22-year-old man killed in shooting in Montreal's Villeray neighbourhood

Montreal police are investigating the city's 17th homicide this year after the latest in a string of shootings left a 22-year-old man dead Sunday night in the Villeray neighbourhood.

Just before 10 p.m.,police received 911 calls about shots fired near thecorner of Crmazie Boulevard and Cartier Street near Highway 40, which marks the northern border of the residential district about eight kilometres north of downtown Montreal.

They found the victim near a parked vehicle on Cartier, with gunshot wounds tohis upper body.Attempts to resuscitate the victim, were unsuccessful and Duckerns Pierre Clermont, also known as rapper Jeune Loup,was confirmed dead at the scene.

A command post has been set up at the intersection and police are speaking with witnesses.

Police say it's unclear whether the shooting is connected to another less than 24 hours earlier outside a shopping centre in AhuntsicCartierville, just west of this latest shooting, that left two men injured.

This follows two other fatal shootings within the last week, in Montreal's east end and on the South Shore.

Spike of gun violence very worrisome, says mayor

Montreal Mayor Valrie Plante says the latest act of gun violenceis very worrisome.

"I've been saying it over and over, we cannot think about gun controlling in terms of territories, it doesn't work that way," said Plante, pointing to illegal firearms entering the city from across the border and through different cities.

That's whyPlante and Quebec's deputypremier,Genevive Guilbault,announced last week that provincial police will join a special Montreal police squadwith a goal toco-ordinate prevention efforts,investigate shootings and preventgun trafficking.

Meanwhile,Montreal's major crimes unit spent Sunday morning scouring the scene,gathering evidence and speaking to people who live in the area. No arrests have been made.