The Canadian city of Montreal is in shock after one of the deadliest attacks on law enforcement in the recent history of the province of Quebec, The New York Times reported.
A serious shooting in the northwestern neighborhood of Côte des Neiges on Monday left three people dead – a police officer, a civilian and the attacker himself.
The incident, which paralyzed parts of the metropolis for hours, is being viewed by authorities as an isolated criminal act with likely ideological motives linked to a radical online subculture.
Chronology of the clash
The crisis began around 11:30 a.m. local time, when the police emergency hotline received multiple reports of a man dressed in camouflage clothing displaying a long-barreled weapon from a hotel window on the busy “Decari“ boulevard.
The first police patrols that arrived on the scene immediately came under heavy fire. Witnesses described scenes of panic and reported hearing between 20 and 30 shots. In the ensuing intense gunfight, the attacker was killed by tactical police units.
During the operation, authorities activated the emergency notification system, urging residents in the area to shelter in place. Key roads and nearby metro stations remained blocked until late afternoon.
Victims: First police officer killed in 24 years
The Montreal Police (SPVM) confirmed the identity of the deceased officer - 34-year-old Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, who had held the position since 2021. The case marks a black statistic for the city, as it is the first killing of a police officer in the line of duty in Montreal in 24 years. A second police officer was seriously injured, but her condition is stable.
The second victim is Michael (Michelle) Moshe Mizrahi, a local resident and respected member of the Jewish community. According to initial investigation data, Mizrahi was probably accidentally caught in the crossfire. Another civilian was slightly injured in the incident.
Motives: Manifesto against women
Although the shooting took place in an area with a high concentration of Jewish schools and institutions, Quebec's Ministry of Public Security categorically ruled out the version of an anti-Semitic or terrorist act.
Official data indicate that the shooter acted completely alone. According to information from the national media outlet Radio-Canada, investigators connect the attacker to the online community of the so-called “incels“ (men who share an ideology based on forced celibacy and hatred of women). Before the attack, the shooter sent an aggressive manifesto to several media outlets, in which he expressed his motives.
Reactions at the highest level
The tragedy has caused a wave of political reactions in Canada. The country's Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Premier of the province of Quebec, Christine Frechette, expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and praised the quick and professional response of the emergency services. Flags on government institutions in the province were flown at half-mast in a sign of mourning.
The investigation into the case has been taken over by the Quebec Independent Investigation Bureau (BEI), which is legally activated whenever a citizen is injured or killed during a police operation.