Two Women Shot Dead in Riviere-du-Loup Restaurant Parking Lot, Quebec Police Investigate
Two women believed to be in their 20s were found shot behind a restaurant near Highway 20 in Riviere-du-Loup on Thursday night. One died at the scene, the second at hospital, and the Surete du Quebec is investigating with no arrests reported.
Key points
- Two women were shot and killed on Thursday evening in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, in a restaurant parking lot at the corner of Plourde Street and Cartier Boulevard, CBC News reported.
- The women were discovered behind a restaurant near Highway 20.
- The Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force, is leading the investigation.
Two women were shot and killed on Thursday evening in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, in a restaurant parking lot at the corner of Plourde Street and Cartier Boulevard, CBC News reported.
The women were discovered behind a restaurant near Highway 20. Police arrived at the scene at about 10:45 p.m. after witnesses heard what sounded like gunshots, according to reports carried by CBC, CTV News and CityNews Montreal. One woman was confirmed dead at the scene, and the second woman was declared dead at hospital.
Believed to be in their 20s
The Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force, is leading the investigation. SQ spokesperson Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau said the women are believed to have been in their 20s. CTV News reported that the women were shot while inside a vehicle.
Police have released no names and no exact ages. CBC reported that no arrests had been made, and police gave no description of a suspect in the first reports. The SQ has not said in those reports what led to the shooting, and no motive has been released.
The investigation
CityNews Montreal reported that the Surete du Quebec is leading the investigation to identify the person or persons responsible for what it called a double murder. Emergency services were notified on Thursday evening after witnesses near the parking lot heard what sounded like gunshots. The women were found behind the restaurant, and investigators took over the scene at the corner of Cartier Boulevard and Plourde Street.
First murders in the town in 13 years, legislator says
Ariane Boyer, the provincial legislator for Riviere-du-Loup-Temiscouata-Les Basques, shared condolences in a Facebook post on Friday morning. She wrote that these would be the first murders to occur in Riviere-du-Loup in 13 years, under circumstances she called highly disturbing.
CBC News published its report at 7:39 a.m. EDT on Friday, October 23, with files from Radio-Canada. The town is in Quebec's Lower St. Lawrence region, and the parking lot sits near the corner where Cartier Boulevard meets Plourde Street, close to Highway 20.
What police have not said
Investigators had not said by Friday morning whether they were looking for one person or more than one, and they had not described any vehicle connected to the shooting beyond the CTV report that the women were shot inside a vehicle. Police have not said when the names of the two women will be released.
The Orbit Post will update this article as the Surete du Quebec releases the names of the victims and any information about a suspect.
Timeline
- Oct 22, 2026Two women are shot in a restaurant parking lot at Plourde Street and Cartier Boulevard in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec. Police arrive at about 10:45 p.m. One woman is confirmed dead at the scene and the second is declared dead at hospital.
- Oct 23, 2026CBC News publishes its report at 7:39 a.m. EDT. The Surete du Quebec says the women are believed to have been in their 20s, no arrests have been made, and the local legislator says these would be the first murders in the town in 13 years.