Deadly Ambush at Montreal Hotel
The attack unfolded around 11:35 a.m. on June 22 when officers responded to reports of a rifle barrel protruding from a window and gunshots. As the first patrol cars arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn Montreal Midtown Hotel, the gunman immediately opened fire from an elevated position, striking two officers and a bystander before officers returned fire and killed him, police said.
A young police officer, described by Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher as a passionate and excellent officer, died of his wounds – the first fatal shooting of a city officer in 24 years. A second officer suffered serious injuries but was in stable condition after surgery. A civilian in the line of fire was killed, and another sustained minor injuries.
The suspect, wearing tactical camouflage and a load-bearing vest, was armed with a semi-automatic SKS carbine, according to images from the scene. He appeared to target law enforcement deliberately – what one police official called an “ambush.” After the gunfight, authorities discovered a manifesto exceeding 100 pages that expressed hatred toward women and espoused incel ideology, multiple law enforcement sources confirmed.
It's a nightmare.Fady Dagher, Montreal Police Chief
The shooting sent shockwaves through the neighborhood, which is home to numerous kosher businesses and Jewish institutions. Witnesses described scenes of panic, with shoppers in a nearby supermarket forced to take cover as heavily armed officers stormed the area. “We saw an army of police with guns drawn yelling, ‘Down, down, down!’ It was like a movie,” said Robert Benzrihem, who was inside the PA supermarket.
A public safety alert urging residents to stay indoors and lock doors was issued at 12:30 p.m. and remained in effect for nearly three hours. Authorities initially feared multiple shooters after witness reports, but later confirmed the attacker acted alone.
Investigation into Motive Continues
Quebec’s domestic security minister, Ian Lafrenière, cautioned against jumping to conclusions, telling reporters, “For now, we don't really know what the motive of this individual was.” But the emergence of the manifesto and the shooter’s tactical preparation point to a premeditated attack, investigators said. The document was reportedly sent to several newsrooms before the rampage.
Premier Christine Fréchette expressed shock, and Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada offered condolences. Police continue to comb the scene and urged people to avoid the area. The motive, they said, remains under active investigation, leaving a community and a police force grappling with loss and an unanswered question: what drove a man to orchestrate this killing.