Former teacher reflects on life of Laval crime figure Charalambos Theologou

Former teacher James Watts reflects on the shocking fatal shooting of one of his ex-students, Charalambos Theologou, in a Laval Starbucks.

There are still no suspects in last week’s murder of alleged organized crime figure Charalambos Theologou, known as “Bobby the Greek.”

The murder at a Laval Starbucks in broad daylight left many shaken, including one of the victim’s former teachers.

“Bobby would have been about 15 when he first started [at Education Plus]. And he was here for about three years, 25 years ago,” James Watts said.

As a devoted teacher and principal, Watts often keeps tabs on his former students. So when the news broke, he says he was horrified.

“I knew that he was on a pathway. I didn’t know he was in that deep,” he told CTV.

Theologou is reported to have been an organized crime contract broker. He died on Oct. 1 after being shot by two gunmen at around 10:30 a.m.

However, Watts says that’s not how Bobby’s story began.

“In class, he was a joker. […] In a large class he would be difficult to manage. But in our school, it’s seven or eight students in a class. And so he was just a lively person,” Watts said.

The principal adds Bobby was a typical student at Education Plus, a private high school designed for those who need an alternative to the usual classroom setting.

As a teen, Watts said Bobby was a natural leader. He had hoped to nurture these qualities to prevent his student from going astray, recalling how Bobby had a fascination with crime movies.

“We had him talk one on one specifically with a police officer because we felt like it would do some good in his life. It would not single him out, but it would be more something that would help him make better choices,” Watts explained.

Watts says he’s grieving even though the situation is complex, questioning what, if anything, he as an educator might have done differently.

“It’s easy to say, well, Bobby made choices and that was up to him. And his end was, you know, based on his choices. But I can’t help but thinking that we all share in some of those choices by the impact and the way that we influence those choices,” Watts told CTV.

“I cannot imagine living always looking over your shoulder. I can’t imagine living a violent life,” he added.

Watts hopes speaking out will help others make better choices for themselves.