Young man facing murder charge in 2025 park stabbing death, assaults

A 22-year-old man is dead after being stabbed in a park in Montreal’s Saint-Laurent borough. (Anastasia Dextrene/CTV News)

The Montreal police (SPVM) Major Crimes Squad has arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the stabbing death of a young man in a park and three assaults last August.

The SPVM said in a news release that Mohamad Barbour was picked up in the Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension borough on Thursday.

On Friday, he was charged with 22-year-old Ahmat Yaya Aboubakar’s murder, in addition to two aggravated assault charges and one assault charge.

On Aug. 16, 911 calls reported three people stabbed at Roman-Zytynsky Park on Jules-Poitras Street and Deguire Boulevard in the Saint-Laurent borough.

“Upon arriving at the scene, police officers discovered three men with upper body injuries,” the SPVM said. “All three were rushed to the hospital. The 22-year-old succumbed to his injuries shortly after.”

The killing was Montreal’s 26th of 31 homicides in 2025.

Two 19-year-olds who were also stabbed in the incident survived but suffered serious injuries, according to police.

Crown prosecutors added a third victim on Friday.

With Barbour’s arrest, the SPVM says the 2025 murder clearance rate is now 84 per cent (26 out of 31).

“Perpetrators of murders and other violent crimes must know that even if they are not arrested immediately, we eventually identify them using our investigative tools and techniques,” said Major Crimes Commander Mélanie Dupont. ”Sooner or later, they will have to answer for their actions in court and face the consequences of their actions.”