Freddy Villanueva Tribute

A police patrol in a Montreal park turned ugly Saturday night when an officer opened fire on three young people, killing one man and wounding two others.

An 18-year-old man, identified by his sister as Freddy Alberto Villanueva, died from his wounds in hospital. The other two, an 18 and a 20-year-old, are reported to be in stable condition.

Montreal police say the officers were trying to arrest an individual during a routine police intervention in Henri Bourassa Park in the Montreal district of Montreal North when they were surrounded by a group of about 20 youths. A few individuals allegedly broke away from the group and rushed the officers.

According to police, it was then that one of the officers opened fire.

The officers were not wounded in the incident.

Quebec provincial police are investigating the incident and are interviewing witnesses.

"We do think there are many witnesses, because at that time, around 7 p.m., there were a lot of people in the park or in the surroundings of the park," said Quebec provincial police spokesman Gregory Gomez del Prado. "There were also people who were part of the altercation, and many people playing sports or just sitting in the park."

According to police, there is currently no information on the reasons behind the police intervention and attempted arrest.

"It's too early to say what happened exactly," said Gomez del Prado. "We're talking about the death of a man. It's a major investigation."

Villanueva's sister, Julissa, said in an interview from her home in the Montreal suburb of Laval, that the family is waiting for answers.

"We only know what we see in the news, in the newspapers, that's all," she said, breaking into tears as she spoke about her brother, a student who wanted become a mechanic.