A suspect armed with a long gun opened fire Monday at a Montreal hotel, killing a police officer before officers returned fire, killing him, police said. A civilian also died but it wasn't immediately clear who fired that shot, the AP reports. Police Chief Fady Dagher said a second officer was seriously injured in the shooting in the city's Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood but is in stable condition. The chief said it was the first time in 24 years that a Montreal police officer had been killed in the line of duty. "It's a very, very sad day. It's a nightmare," he told reporters. Police identified the deceased officer as Constable Mohamed Lamine Benredouan, 34. He had been with the force since 2021.
Dagher said someone called emergency services around 11:35am about a person who was sticking a gun out of a window at the Hilton hotel. Police arrived at the scene and were targeted with gunfire, he said. Video showed the shooter was also outside the hotel. Police are still trying to determine the suspect's motive. Videos posted on social media appear to show the exchange of gunfire between police and a person carrying a long gun who was wearing an olive-colored jacket and cargo pants. The videos appear to show a civilian and at least one officer getting shot, while the person in the olive-colored clothing appeared to get shot while adjusting or reloading their weapon.
Jacob Coutu, who was working in construction near the shooting, said he heard "four of five gunshots" on Monday morning. A few minutes later, he said police officers started arriving at the scene in large numbers, and he heard more gunfire. "We saw cops getting in a gunfight, getting shot down," Coutu said. He estimates he heard 30 or 40 gunshots. Quebec Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière confirmed multiple agencies were consulted, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, before investigators concluded that the shooting was not a terrorist attack.
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