MONTREAL — A Montreal police officer and a civilian were killed in a shooting in the city’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood on Monday, authorities said, with the suspect also killed in an exchange of gunfire.
Police responded to reports of a man with a long gun firing shots near De Courtrai and Trans Island avenues. The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Seth Hatfield from Alberta, opened fire on officers, killing Constable Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, who had been with the force since 2021. A female officer was seriously injured but is in stable condition.
The civilian victim was identified as 68-year-old Michael Moshe Mizrahi, a member of Montreal’s Jewish community. It remained unclear who fired the shot that killed him. A second civilian sustained minor injuries.
Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher described the scene as “a real nightmare.” The incident marked the first time in 24 years that a Montreal officer had been killed in the line of duty.
Law enforcement sources indicated the shooting appeared to target police. Hatfield was armed with an SKS rifle and had sent a manifesto containing antisemitic and other content to media outlets prior to the attack, according to reports. The Quebec police watchdog is investigating.
The shooting prompted a shelter-in-place alert for parts of the city. Police confirmed all three fatalities by late Monday.
As of Tuesday, officials continued to investigate the circumstances, with no further details released on a possible motive or additional suspects. The community, including Montreal’s Jewish neighborhood where the incident occurred, expressed shock over the violence.
