In a dramatic opening statement at the Laval courthouse, prosecutors revealed chilling details of what they describe as a meticulously planned contract killing. The jury heard that Izaiah Shurgold-Ford, a 21-year-old from Brampton, Ontario, traveled to Terrebonne to participate in the execution of a street gang member more than two years ago.
The Victim and the Allegations
Gordy Jean-Paul, a 34-year-old man known by the street name "Young Dev" and the alias "Big Slim" on Snapchat, was fatally shot on October 9, 2023. According to prosecutor Juliette Gauthier Soucy, Jean-Paul was a street gang member whose murder was carried out in exchange for $38,000 that was taken from his vehicle after the shooting.
A Coordinated Operation
The prosecution outlined a coordinated operation that began the night before the murder. Shurgold-Ford allegedly drove from Brampton to Toronto, where he met an accomplice who was a minor at the time. The pair were then transported to Montreal, arriving after 3 a.m. on October 9, 2023.
They were dropped off at an apartment building on Reims Street, north of Highway 40. Throughout the day, prosecutors claim Shurgold-Ford and the youth communicated with unidentified co-conspirators about the planned hit, firearms they had obtained, and the $38,000 payment they expected to receive for completing the job.
The Fatal Encounter
Around 8:30 p.m. that evening, the pair allegedly entered a stolen red 2021 Toyota RAV4 SUV that was waiting for them. They drove to a pharmacy on des Seigneurs Boulevard in a Terrebonne strip mall, where Jean-Paul was reportedly told to meet them.
While Shurgold-Ford remained in the vehicle, the youth approached Jean-Paul, who was seated in his own car. Approximately fifteen minutes later, the youth allegedly shot Jean-Paul multiple times in the head and torso. The assailant then took a computer bag containing money from Jean-Paul's vehicle before returning to the RAV4 and fleeing the scene.
The Aftermath and Arrest
The stolen vehicle was later torched and abandoned behind a grocery store in another Terrebonne location. Shortly afterward, police spotted Shurgold-Ford and the youth entering a nearby gas station, where Shurgold-Ford asked an employee to call a taxi.
Both individuals were arrested minutes later with a firearm and slightly more than $38,000 in their possession. The youth, whose identity is protected by a publication ban because he was a minor at the time, is not on trial in Shurgold-Ford's case.
Witness Testimony
During Monday's proceedings, a resident living near the pharmacy testified that she heard what sounded like four gunshots before looking out her window and seeing a red vehicle drive away quickly. She noted the vehicle performed what she described as "an American stop"—a very quick stop—and observed that the license plate was not from Quebec, though she couldn't recall the specific numbers.
The witness later recognized the vehicle when she saw it on television news coverage the following day, showing the same red SUV damaged by fire.
Legal Proceedings
Shurgold-Ford faces a charge of first-degree murder, with prosecutors alleging he served as the driver in the planned hit. The trial is expected to last six weeks as the jury hears evidence about this complex case that spans multiple jurisdictions and involves coordinated criminal activity.
Prosecutor Claudia Carbonneau presented additional details from court admissions, including that the Toyota RAV4 used in the killing had been stolen from Ontario just days before the murder. The prosecution's case suggests a premeditated, financially motivated crime that resulted in the death of a man known to law enforcement as a street gang member.
