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A Mr. Puffs cafe in Laval, Que., allegedly used as headquarters by a recently murdered gang leader, was hit by gunfire overnight.
It was the third shooting in 48 hours in the city and comes days after Laval police said they wanted to crack down on extortion.
On Thursday, two coffee shops were hit by gunfire within 20 minutes of each other.
A Laval police spokesman said Friday it was too early to say whether the shootings were related.
Organized crime detectives are investigating.
On October 2, a day after organized crime figure Charalambos Theologou was shot dead inside a busy Starbucks, Puffs issued a statement denying any ties to him.
The denial followed a La Presse report that said Theologou, also known as Bobby the Greek and alleged head of a gang involved in extortion known as the Chomedey Greeks, had set up headquarters at the Mr. Puffs establishment.
“The published article suggests that an individual known to authorities for his criminal activities has ‘set up his headquarters’ in one of our restaurants in Laval,” Mr. Puffs’ statement said.
“Mr. Puffs categorically denies any commercial, financial or operational ties to this individual or any criminal organization.”
Officers will proactively meet with local businesses in a bid to help them deal with potential extortion threats from gangs such as the Chomedey Greeks. As of October 31, 2025, Laval police say they have opened 61 files related to reports of extortion.
No one was inside the store at the time of the shooting.
Mr. Puffs is a Canadian chain that offers pastries and coffee.
Laval police say incidents of extortion are increasing throughout their territory and have asked merchants to come forward and help investigators, noting that they will not be considered criminals, but rather victims, even if they have been forced to pay money to a criminal group.
