Quebec provincial police say a person of interest in connection with a homicide in Shawinigan is now considered a suspect and are asking for the public’s help in locating him. The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said a body was found in a home on 201st Avenue in Shawinigan at around 9 a.m. Sunday. The victim was a minor. “From the first moment, it was clear that it was a homicide,” said SQ spokesperson Louis-Philippe Ruel. “The investigation started then.” As the search for the suspect, Philippe Benoit, 41, continues, the SQ said Monday that information gathered so far leads them to believe he might be in possession of a “bladed weapon.” There is no threat to the public during the search, police said. Anyone who spots Benoit is urged not to attempt to intervene, approach him or contact him, but instead to dial 911 immediately. The investigation led to the search for Benoit at Lac-aux-Sables, about 50 kilometres northwest of Shawinigan. “Although the searches and investigations carried out so far have focused mainly on the Lac-aux-Sables area, it is possible that the suspect may be elsewhere in Quebec,” police said. Benoit is five feet five inches tall, weighs around 100 pounds, and has brown hair and grey eyes. Anyone with information about his whereabouts and wants to share it confidentially can contact the SQ at 1-800-659-4264.
