Photo: Karapet Mikaelyan, recently murdered, is pictured with a firearm in a video from his Facebook page. Photo: screenshot from Karapet Mikaelyan’s facebook

Emerging rapper from Outaouais, with criminal background, found murdered in Cantley

Tashi Farmilo

In a shocking incident on Friday evening, an aspiring rapper from Outaouais, previously involved in drug trafficking, was found dead in Cantley.

Local Public Security officers from MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais responded to a call at around 11:15 p.m., discovering a gravely wounded 28-year-old man at a Montée des Érables residence. The victim, identified as Karapet Mikaelyan, later succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.

On Saturday morning, the Sûreté du Québec declared Mikaelyan's death as a homicide, though no suspects have been apprehended yet. Preliminary details hint at the possibility of Mikaelyan being shot, as corroborated by local residents who reported hearing a loud "bang" on Friday night. However, the Sûreté du Québec verified reports of gunfire in the vicinity but stopped short of directly linking it to the murder.

Interestingly, just hours before this tragic event, Mikaelyan, who went by the alias "Karman" in the music world, had uploaded a new rap video on his YouTube channel.

The murder probe is now under the jurisdiction of the SQ's specialized unit for crimes against individuals. They will be coordinating their efforts with the local police department.

Mikaelyan's name wasn't unfamiliar to law enforcement. He had a history of run-ins with the law, having served a two-year sentence for drug trafficking in 2019, and 29 months earlier for aggravated assault. Notably, at just 18 years old, he was implicated in a violent altercation involving a fellow student, spurred by an online disagreement. The incident, which involved him reportedly attacking the student with a stick in a school parking lot, was highlighted by Le Droit. However, Mikaelyan eventually accepted a plea deal on a lesser charge of conspiracy.