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The brazen public execution of a influential Montreal underworld figure inside a outlying Starbucks this week could suggest a emerging, more chaotic and brash climate when it comes to criminal organizations, analysts report.

Leadership Void Emerging

The arrests of purported top-level, established members of the city's organized crime in June has possibly created a chasm – meaning upcoming, younger gangs are working to establish themselves.

Violent Attack Particulars

Authorities stated at a media update that they were called to a Starbucks in Laval, Quebec at about 10.30am on Wednesday because of alerts of a gunfire inside the establishment. An individual was killed and two others were wounded.

Victim Identification

While authorities have not officially identified the deceased's identity, multiple Canadian media outlets have said the man murdered was a sentenced illegal substance distributor, 40, also known by an alias. The man was the leader of a gang operating in the area.

Government Remarks

The Quebec's public security minister commented: "All evidence points to it being an incident associated with organised crime."

The law enforcement leader informed journalists that while he could not provide details on the ongoing probe, he is familiar with the man targeted due to his "reputation". "This person is associated with criminal networks," he said.

Past Record

The victim was first linked formally to illegal operations in the mid-2000s when police in Montreal detained him and several accomplices in a illegal substance operation. He ended up admitting responsibility on substance charges and was sentenced to a couple of years in prison.

According to reports, the person was arrested for a later instance in 2009, again for illegal substance sales, and was later handed to another 60 months in prison.

Professional Assessment

A academic specialist said that underworld activities in the area used to be defined around maintaining control over open confrontations and depended on a defined chain of command.

An brazen public killing at a popular café points to there may not be a major player maintaining control – as aggression could harm business when it comes to illegal substance trade, said the specialist.

Structural Collapse

The analyst stated it is possible that the group which eliminated the underworld figure simply "showed disregard" about the visible exhibition of aggression in order to kill their objective.

But the analyst thinks more probable is there has been a loss of structure and authority within underworld activities in Montreal, related to significant arrests of the suspected heads of Montreal's mafia made in June.

Major Apprehensions

After a three-year probe, police arrested an suspected criminal organization head and accused him with killing and other associated crimes.

Current Situation

The recent apprehensions were considered as the final "nail in the coffin" for the traditional underworld hierarchy, commented the specialist.

It has left a vacuum that emerging street gangs are striving to fill. The Wednesday's violence is an signal of an uncertain, evolving landscape, he said.

"There is kind of this multitude of small, not super well-organised gangs ... that are competing for control," he concluded.