Yorkdale shooting victim was rapper with ties to Montreal gangs: Report

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The man who was shot dead early Thursday in the parking lot of Yorkdale Shopping Centre is reportedly a rapper linked to Montreal gangs.

Montreal’s La Presse reported that the victim is a rapper known as Lil Bentley, whose real name is Kashif Jamal Bentley-Jean.

The 28-year-old was outside the mall’s entrance no. 3 around 6:15 a.m. Thursday when he was approached by one or more individuals who opened fire.

Toronto Police Det. Sajeev Nair said lifesaving measures were initiated, but he died at the scene.

“This investigation is in its early stages and we’re working to determine what happened and who is responsible,” Nair said Thursday, noting the incident “was not a random shooting.”

The suspects remain at large.

Bentley-Jean is believed to have cofounded a red-aligned street gang called A1, who are known in west Montreal and Toronto, La Presse reported.

He was also reportedly close to Zone 43, a Red-aligned street gang in northeast Montreal.

The rapper had a falling out with another blue-aligned gang from Montreal’s West Island, the Rolling 90s, after he and others allegedly kidnapped one of their leaders in the trunk of a car, according to the outlet.

Bentley-Jean was allegedly beaten while behind bars at the Montreal Correctional Facility in April 2023.

The rapper 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 the outlet, adding that he was believed to be in the Toronto area for two years.

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Bentley-Jean had several criminal records in Quebec, including several breaches of court orders.

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

On Friday afternoon, Toronto Police confirmed the victim as Bentley-Jean. His shooting death is the city’s 25 homicide of the year.

The investigation continues with cops asking anyone who was in the area, especially those with dashcam or cellphone footage, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers.

dwilford@postmedia.com