In the early afternoon of 22 June, a shooting erupted in Montreal’s diverse Côte‑des‑Neiges neighbourhood, killing a police officer, a civilian and the armed suspect.
The unnamed male suspect – believed to have acted alone – was shot by police on the scene and died immediately. A second officer sustained serious injuries but was reported to be in stable condition.
Witnesses describe a gun protruding from a window and heard a burst of shooting before police confronted the attacker. At around 11:30 EDT the police chief announced the suspect’s death and the damage to surrounding traffic, halting a nearby metro line.
An emergency alert warning residents of an armed suspect on the loose was issued by the province of Quebec at 12:30 EDT, and lifted roughly 15:00 EDT after the killer was neutralised.
The shooting prompted a Canada-wide policing alert, with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police asking other forces to be on high alert for a potential copy‑cat threat. The bulletin mentioned a circulated document that allegedly urged citizens to shoot police officers, but the existence of that document remains unconfirmed by the BBC.
Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher described the incident as a “nightmare”, noting that it marks the first officer death in the city in nearly 25 years. The department announced that the fallen officer, Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, will be honoured with flags at half‑staff and remembered for his professionalism and dedication.
The civilian victim was identified by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs as Michael Moshe Mizrahi, a “beloved member of Montreal’s Jewish community.” An advocacy group later posted that Mizrahi was “an innocent victim of today’s events.” Police stated no current evidence of an anti‑semite motive.
Quebec’s Minister of Security, Ian Lafrenière, voiced uncertainty: "For now, we don’t really know what the motive of this individual was." Other officials—including Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Premier Christine Fréchette—expressed condolences and stressed that violence has no place in Canadian society.
Analysts point to the gunman’s alleged inspiration from the misogynistic 'incel' movement, a fringe online ideology that has previously linked to violent acts, such as the 2018 Toronto vehicle‑ramming that claimed 10 lives. Connections between the Montreal shooting and similar cases are still under investigation, with the RCMP reviewing the potential link.
