The tranquil normalcy of a residential neighborhood in the Canadian city of Montreal was shattered Monday morning after a gunman opened fire, prompting a shootout with police that killed at least two people, sent families running for cover and paralyzed the city for hours.
The brazen daylight shooting, which law enforcement sources believe was a targeted attack on police, marks the first time a Montreal officer has been killed in the line of duty in two decades.
The rash of gunshots shocked residents of the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, who remained under an hourslong order to take shelter and lock their doors as authorities investigated an “armed and dangerous suspect.” The suspect was later confirmed to have been killed.
Police are examining a so-called manifesto that runs over 100 pages they believe may have been written by the gunman. It reportedly espouses incel ideology, according to law enforcement sources. Incel is short for “involuntary celibate” and its misogynistic ideology has been tied to several violent attacks in recent years.
The Montreal Police Service identified the fallen officer as Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, who had been a police officer with the department since 2021. It’s the first fatal shooting of an officer in the city in 24 years, Quebec Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière said.
Authorities have not yet identified the other victim or the gunman, who police believe acted alone.
A second officer was transported to the hospital in critical condition, but she is now stable, Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher said at a news conference. One civilian sustained minor injuries, he said.
“It appeared to be an ambush,” a Canadian law enforcement source said.
Less than five miles from the skyscrapers and frenzied metropolis of downtown Montreal, Côte-des-Neiges is a quieter, modern residential bubble. The borough is diverse, with pockets defined deeply by Jewish culture, institutions and daily life.
Brandon Benchimel-Elkaim, a resident of a nearby condo building, said he saw panicked families at a local playground run for cover after he heard the first round of gunshots ring out around 11:15 a.m. ET, CNN newsgathering partner CBC News reported.
“I saw parents ripping their kids off of the play structure. They were running for their life,” he said.
Benchimel-Elkaim said a second round of shooting came shortly after, followed by a large police presence, CBC reported.
Police were responding to a 911 call of gunshots and a gun sticking out of a window around 11:35 a.m. on Décarie Boulevard when officers came under fire in the street, Dagher, the police chief said.
Brandon Benchimel-Elkaim, a resident of a nearby condo building, said he saw panicked families at a local playground run for cover after he heard the first round of gunshots ring out around 11:15 a.m. ET, CNN newsgathering partner CBC News reported.
“I saw parents ripping their kids off of the play structure. They were running for their life,” he said.
Benchimel-Elkaim said a second round of shooting came shortly after, followed by a large police presence, CBC reported.Police were responding to a 911 call of gunshots and a gun sticking out of a window around 11:35 a.m. on Décarie Boulevard when officers came under fire in the street, Dagher, the police chief said.
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