Trial begins in Flawnego boutique slaying

The target of the hit was storeowner Joseph Ducarme, 41, who is known to police. Legal records obtained by CTV show that Ducarme has a rap sheet for fraud and intimidation.

Jury selection began Tuesday in the first-degree murder trial of Carey Isaac Regis and Terrell Lloyd Smith—both accused of killing two men and wounding a third in a 2010 shooting in an old Montreal clothing store.

Witness Frédérick Louis told a Montreal courtroom Tuesday that he saw two masked men enter the Old Montreal boutique, pistols drawn. They began firing almost immediately, he said.

The witness nearly died in the shooting, which left him with gunshot wounds to the cheek, skull, hip and to both his arms. He said there were probably 12 to 15 shots fired in all.

Jean Gaston and Peter Christopoulos, both associates of Louis’, were killed that day.

They were at the store with reputed gang leader Ducarme Joseph, who police believe was the intended target that day. Joseph, the Flawnego’s owner, was a member of the Montreal North-based “67” street gang and is currently in federal prison on weapons charges.

Investigators believe he is linked to the slew of violence that surrounded the mob-style hit on Nicolo Rizzuto in 2010. Rizutto is the son of alleged Montreal mob boss Vito Rizzuto.

Louis was the first witness in the murder trial, which is presided over by judge Michael Stober. He told the courtroom he was making small talk with Christopoulos just moments before the day erupted into violence.

When the shooting started, Louis said, he took cover in the store’s bathroom.  Despite his life-threatening injuries, Louis managed to crawl into his SUV and drive himself to a nearby hospital.