A tragic shootout occurred in Montreal on Monday, resulting in the death of a police officer. Residents were urged to stay indoors for nearly three hours while authorities searched for a suspect.
Initially, police announced that one gunman had been killed at the scene. They later clarified that there was only one suspect involved, allowing residents to resume normal activities. Montreal police chief Fady Dagher assured the public that there was no longer an immediate threat.
The incident took place in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, close to a building housing commercial units including a grocery store and a restaurant. Chief Dagher explained that police officers were dispatched upon reports of a firearm visible outside a hotel window. Upon arrival, they faced gunfire.
One officer lost his life, while another officer and a civilian were injured. Chief Dagher expressed the gravity of the loss at an afternoon news conference, noting that it had been 24 years since a Montreal officer was last killed in the line of duty.
The Quebec province issued a warning shortly after 12:30 p.m., advising residents to shelter indoors, away from windows, and to securely lock doors. Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada extended condolences to the officer’s family, friends, and colleagues on social media.
Mordy Aisenstark, a pizza restaurant manager near the shooting, recounted hearing gunshots around 11:30 a.m. He led his team to safety through the store’s back exit. Later, he saw the shooter, dressed in camouflage, lying deceased beside a firearm. Police prompted the pizza shop’s employees to seek shelter in a bathroom during the crisis.
Ian Lafrenière, Quebec’s minister of domestic security, confirmed exhaustive police efforts in the investigation but did not provide further details. The motive behind the assailant’s actions remains unclear.