Teen arrested in connection to shooting death of 17-year-old Amir Benayad, Montreal police say

A teenager has been arrested in connection to the shooting death of 17-year-old Amir Benayad in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough back in January, according to police.

The 17-year-old suspect was arrested around noon on Thursday in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough, the Service de Police de la Ville de Montral (SPVM) saidin a news release.

The suspect was the subject of an arrest warrant and is expected to appear in youth court to be charged with second-degree murder, the release said.

The shooting was Montreal's first homicide of the year, occurring on Jan. 13 at around 6:45 p.m.

Police say two groups of teenagers, some of whom knew each other, began yelling at each other in an alleyway near the intersection of Rivard and Roy streets.

Shots were fired, and the victim was hit in the chest. The suspects fled the scene, and Benayadwas taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

At a vigil held soon after his death, Benayad's friends described the 17-year-old as a vibrant young man with a lot of personality.

This police investigation is continuing into the involvement of another teenager withthe case, the release said.

This additional suspect, who is also 17and who is also the subject of an arrest warrant for second degree murder, has left the country to evade arrest, the release said.

The names of the suspects are not being released because they are minors, the SPVM said.

Anyone with information can contact 911 or their neighbourhood station. To give information anonymously, people can call 514 393-1133 or visit infocrimemontreal.ca.