A police officer, a civilian and the suspect were killed in a shooting in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood on June 22, according to Montreal police officials who identified the slain 34-year-old officer as Mohamed Lamine Benredouane. The incident, which began shortly after 11:35 a.m. near Courtrai and Trans Island avenues at a hotel, also left a female officer with serious but stable injuries while prompting an emergency alert that halted nearby metro service and major traffic arteries until early afternoon. Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher described the event as a nightmare during a news conference and said the suspect acted alone before being shot dead by officers.
Chief Dagher told reporters the department would fly its flags at half-staff to honor Benredouane, who joined the force in 2021 and was remembered for his professionalism and dedication to duty. The civilian victim was identified as Michael Moshe Mizrahi, a member of Montreal’s Jewish community, according to a statement from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs that described him as a beloved figure. Police have not linked the shooting to antisemitism, and one additional civilian sustained minor injuries in the exchange, law enforcement sources told CNN.
Witness Danny Wilk recounted hearing gunfire and seeing a gun protruding from a window before seeking shelter in a nearby pizzeria, where he observed the shooter dressed in military-style clothing preparing to fire as one officer lay on the ground. The Washington Post reported that the suspect, armed with a long gun, opened fire in a manner that led officers to return fire immediately. An emergency alert was issued by Quebec authorities after 12:30 p.m. and lifted around 3 p.m. as the scene was secured, according to local transit and police updates.
Reports from Radio-Canada and the Economic Times have connected the gunman to the misogynistic incel movement, with some outlets identifying him as Seth Hatfield from Lethbridge, Alberta, who allegedly left behind a 104-page manifesto attacking women and capitalism. The RCMP had circulated an alert about a document encouraging attacks on police officers prior to the incident, the Globe and Mail reported, though the BBC noted it could not independently confirm such a document’s direct relation to the shooting. Quebec public security minister Ian Lafrenière stated that the motive was not yet clear even as the probe examines possible incel links, according to multiple Canadian outlets including CBC.
Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on social media that he was horrified by the deaths and extended his thoughts to the victims’ loved ones, the first responders and the Côte-des-Neiges community. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said such acts have no place in the province while offering her deepest shock at the violence. Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada conveyed condolences to the families of the officer and civilian as well as to their colleagues, according to statements carried by Le Monde and local broadcasters.
The shooting marks the first time in more than two decades that a Montreal police officer has died in the line of duty, CBC and other local media reported, highlighting the rarity of such incidents in the city. It also draws comparisons to the 2018 Toronto van attack that killed 10 people and was carried out by a perpetrator linked to incel ideology, as noted in coverage by the Economic Times and Al Jazeera. The Bureau of Independent Investigations has taken over the probe, with Montreal police referring all further questions to that body while the RCMP declined immediate comment on the manifesto or related alerts.
