The Montreal police have arrested the first suspect in the murder of 15-year-old Mariam Bundawi, which occurred about a year and a half ago.

Waleem Al-Tuibi, 26, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with Bundawi's shooting death on February 7, 2021.

The police said Al-Tuibi also faces four attempted murder charges related to other victims.

Bundawi was killed by a fatal bullet in a drive-by shooting in the Saint Leonard neighborhood around 6 p.m. on Valdumber Street near Jean Talon Street while she was sitting in a car.

She was in a parked car with a young man who was talking to people on the street at that moment when another car approached and opened fire on her.

A man on the sidewalk was also injured in the upper part of his body. At that time, witnesses said an altercation between people in the suspect's car and people on the sidewalk led to the shooting.

Bundawi's murder was a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over the scourge of gun violence in Montreal, which remains a priority for the city's police force.

Al-Tuibi had already been arrested in a regional prison in connection with a firearms possession charge and appeared in Montreal court Monday afternoon.

The police are looking for other suspects in the shooting. SPVM officer Salvatore Cerao said, "It is a complex investigation that takes time."

"We know that the person we arrested was not alone." Reports indicated that two masked men were in the suspect's car, and Cerao said they are searching for more clues in the case.

Al-Tuibi has a criminal record. "He was known for committing acts of violence and weapons possession charges," he said. He stated that Bundawi had no connection to the suspect and is an innocent victim.

Editing: Abdelsalam bin Saleh