Man, 20, arrested in Quebec for rapper's murder at Yorkdale mall

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One man has been arrested and two others are still sought for last month’s deadly shooting outside of a North York mall of a rapper with reported ties to Montreal gangs.

Toronto Police say officers responded to a call for a person with a gun at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, near Hwy. 401 and Dufferin St., around 6:15 a.m. on July 17.

Officers located a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot on the north side of the mall.

Life-saving measures were commenced, but police say the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim was later identified by cops as Kashif Jamal Bentley-Jean, 28, of Toronto.

Montreal’s La Presse reported that the victim was a rapper known as Lil Bentley who is believed to have co-founded a red-aligned street gang called A1 – known in west Montreal and Toronto – and had close ties to Zone 43 – a red-aligned street gang in northeast Montreal.

The rapper reportedly had a falling out with a blue-aligned gang from Montreal’s West Island – the Rolling 90s – after he and others allegedly abducted one of their leaders, La Presse reported.

In 2015, he was sentenced to two years in prison for firearm possession, dangerous driving and fraud, La Presse reported.

Bentley-Jean was also allegedly beaten while he was locked up at the Montreal Correctional Facility in April 2023 and he shared video of the beating on social media.

He had been wanted on an arrest warrant since 2023 for breach of conditional sentence, police told La Presse, adding it’s believed he had been in Toronto for about two years.

Bentley-Jean was outside an entrance to Yorkdale Shopping Centre when gunmen approached him and opened fire three weeks ago.

Homicide investigators subsequently identified three suspects and obtained Canada-wide warrants for their arrests.

One of the wanted men was taken into custody on Monday by police in Laval, Que.

Bradley Lucate Nicolas, 20, of Montreal, is charged with first-degree murder.

Investigators have released images of the two other suspects who are still sought hoping members of the public can help track them down.

Bryan Emmanuel Fuentes Gramajo, 23, of Longueuil, Que., and Jimmy Prudent, 28, of Montreal, are both wanted for first-degree murder.

“The suspects are considered armed and dangerous,” police said in a statement released Wednesday. “If located, do not approach, and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding this murder or the whereabouts of either of the two wanted men is urged to call the Homicide Unit at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

cdoucette@postmedia.com

@sundoucette