A midday shooting in the Canadian city of Montreal left a police officer, a civilian and an armed assailant dead Monday.
The unidentified suspect, who allegedly acted alone, was shot and killed at the scene, the city’s police chief said. Another police officer was seriously injured and is said to be in stable condition.
The attack took place in a diverse neighborhood of the city, Côte-des-Neiges. A witness saw “a gun coming out of a window,” heard gunshots and called police, according to investigators.
Quebec’s security minister said the motive was unclear.
After the attack, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) sent an alert to other police forces across Canada, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported. The bulletin reportedly warned of a document circulating that would encourage citizens to shoot police officers.
Speaking to the AFP news agency, local resident Danny Wilk said he was near his home when he heard gunshots.
“I tried to take refuge in the nearby pizzeria, and that’s when I saw the shooter, who appeared ready to fire his weapon, dressed in military clothing,” Wilk said.
The resident said he saw the officer on the ground after he was shot, before the attacker himself was shot by police.
Monday’s incident marked the first time a Montreal police officer was killed in the line of duty in nearly a quarter of a century.
Becoming emotional during a press conference, Montreal police chief Fady Dagher told reporters: “It’s a nightmare.”
Police later identified the slain officer as Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34. He had been in law enforcement since 2021.
French-language public broadcaster Radio Canada said the shooter was inspired by the misogynistic “Incel” movement, made up mainly of online groups of young men who blame women for their lack of sexual activity.
One of the deadliest massacres in Canada, a A ram vehicle in 2018 in Toronto which left 10 deadwas linked to the “incel” ideology.
The BBC has not confirmed the existence of any documents relating to the Montreal attack.
The RCMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Montreal police referred questions on the matter to the Bureau of Independent Investigations, which declined to comment on the investigation.
Ian Lafrenière, Quebec’s Minister of Internal Security, said earlier: “For the moment, we do not really know what the motives of this individual were. »
The shooting began after 11:30 a.m. EDT (3:30 p.m. GMT) in Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal’s most populous neighborhood.
Traffic on a busy nearby highway was halted and local subway service was disrupted.
Shortly after 12:30 p.m., the province of Quebec issued an emergency alert warning residents of the presence of an armed suspect on the loose. The alert was lifted around 3 p.m.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “horrified” when he learned of the attack.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, the first responders and the entire Côte-des-Neiges community,” he wrote on social media.
Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the mayor of Montreal, said in a message on social media: “My most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the police officer who died in the line of duty. »
Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette echoed these sentiments in a social media post, adding that “such acts have no place here.”
