It's a miracle he's still alive

Yves Rochon

Mr Auger is considered one of the leading experts on organised crime in the Canadian province of Quebec, specialising in biker gangs such as the Hell's Angels and Rock Machine, who have been fighting for control of the trade in illicit drugs.

Attack

Mr Auger was found lying, still conscious beside his car. The Journal de Montreal's City Desk Editor, Yves Rochon, told BBC News Online he had been shot seven times.

Michel Auger is an experienced crime reporter

"He was hit twice in the shoulder and five times in the back," he said.

"It's a miracle he's still alive.

"The doctor doesn't understand how he is still alive with all the injuries he has."

The police say they are investigating an attempted murder but had no further comment to make.

Threats

Bandits will not prevent us from doing our work

Editor-in-chief

The Journal's editor-in-chief Paule Beaugrand-Champagne said the newspaper would not be intimidated by the shooting.

"It's an attack on democracy," she said.

"Bandits will not prevent us from doing our work."

Ms Beaugrand-Champagne said Mr Auger had received threats related to his work, and had taken precautions such as having an unlisted telephone number and varying his route to work.

Vicious struggle

The turf war between Quebec's Les Hell's Angels and a rival gang called Rock Machine has claimed more than 70 lives, including that of an 11-year-old boy killed by a car bomb.

"It is a to-the-death struggle neither side can afford to lose," says Jean-Pierre Levesque of Canada's Criminal Intelligence Service.

Biker gangs have been fighting each other and the mafia

"This isn't about macho honour or gang pride. This about greed, business, and market share," he said.

Two years ago a member of the Hells Angels was cleared of ordering the killing of two prison guards in order to intimidate the criminal justice system.

Mr Auger had been a columnist at the tabloid newspaper for 17 years.

He is considered by his colleagues in the industry as the foremost expert on organised crime.

He was shot the day after the Journal de Montreal published a long article about the struggle for supremacy between Quebec's biker gangs and mafia groups.