Gunman kills a Montreal officer at Hilton hotel before being shot dead, police say

Lead

A shooting at a Montreal hotel on Monday left three people dead, including a police officer, a civilian, and the suspected gunman, according to police in the Canadian city. The incident occurred in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, an area with kosher restaurants and supermarkets frequented by Montreal's large Jewish community. Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher described the event as "more than terrible," calling it "a tragedy, a nightmare."

Coverage Comparison

Details of the shooting were reported by multiple outlets, with slight variations in the account. Al Jazeera reported that a police officer, a civilian, and the suspected gunman were killed in the shooting, which took place in a Jewish neighborhood of Montreal. France 24 — English also confirmed three deaths—a police officer, a resident, and the alleged assailant—and noted that the motive for the attack was unknown. The South China Morning Post emphasized the rarity of such gun violence in Canada, describing the incident as a "midday shooting" that triggered alarm in the city. The Hindu — World provided more specific details, stating that the suspect was armed with a long gun and opened fire at a Montreal hotel, with police responding and shooting the suspect dead.

The location of the incident was consistently identified as a Jewish neighborhood, with some outlets specifying it as the Côte-des-Neiges area. The timing of the shooting was reported around 11:30 a.m. local time, though the South China Morning Post and The Hindu — World gave slightly different times of 11:30 and 11:35, respectively.

Key Claims

The shooting resulted in the deaths of three individuals: a police officer, a civilian, and the suspected gunman. The suspect was shot dead by police, according to The Hindu — World. A second police officer was seriously injured in the incident but was in stable condition, as reported by Police Chief Fady Dagher. The civilian's death was confirmed, but it was unclear who fired the shot that killed them, according to The Hindu — World.

Police declined to comment on the motive for the attack, and whether it constituted a hate crime or act of terror remains unknown, as noted by the South China Morning Post. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), a prominent Canadian civil society group, said it was "closely monitoring the situation" and urged community members to exercise vigilance, according to France 24 — English.

Police Chief Fady Dagher was quoted by the South China Morning Post and The Hindu — World describing the incident as "more than terrible," "a tragedy, a nightmare," and "a nightmare." He also confirmed that it was the first time in 24 years that a Montreal police officer had been killed in the line of duty, as reported by The Hindu — World.

Witness Jacob Coutu, who was working in construction near the shooting, told The Hindu — World he heard "four or five gunshots" initially, followed by more gunfire as police arrived. He estimated hearing 30 or 40 gunshots in total. Video footage showed the gunman firing towards police officers, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Perspectives

Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher provided the official police perspective, describing the event as a tragedy and confirming the officer's death. He stated that the second officer was in stable condition and that the suspect was dead.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) expressed concern, saying it was monitoring the situation and urging community members to be vigilant, as reported by France 24 — English.

A witness, Jacob Coutu, offered a firsthand account of the shooting, describing the gunfire and the police response, as reported by The Hindu — World.