Fallen Montreal officer identified, amid warning of possible anti-police manifesto

Police in Montreal have identified the officer killed Monday in a shooting that triggered a warning to other forces about the possibility of a violent anti-police manifesto.

They say Mohamed Lamine Benredouane was 34 years old and had been with the force since 2021.

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Benredouane was killed after a suspect started shooting near an entrance to a hotel in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges district on Monday morning.

A civilian and the suspect were also killed, while a second police officer was seriously injured.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, an advocacy group, identified the civilian victim as Michael Moshe Mizrahi.

A police spokesperson in British Columbia said forces across the province were warned after the shooting of the possibility of an anti-police manifesto.

Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton with the Surrey Police Service said the information was issued Monday afternoon by an intelligence-sharing unit operating out of the RCMP B.C. headquarters.

“Following the tragic events of what happened in Montreal earlier today, police in British Columbia were advised that there is the possibility of either documentation or some type of manifesto that is rumoured to be out there calling on individuals to target and commit violence against police officers,” he said.

Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher said the second officer was in stable condition. He said the suspect, who was armed with a long gun, was killed, adding that police do not think there is a second suspect.

Dagher said someone called 911 around 11:35 a.m. about a person who was sticking a gun out a window at the Hilton hotel. Police arrived at the scene and were met with gunfire, Dagher said.

“It’s a very, very sad day. It’s a nightmare,” he told reporters, adding that it’s been 24 years since a Montreal police officer has been killed on the job.

Dagher added police are still trying to determine the suspect’s motive.

He also said he didn’t know who shot the civilian.

A massive police presence could be seen near the site of the shooting, a multicultural neighbourhood with a mix of residential buildings and businesses.

Jacob Coutu, who was working in construction nearby, said he heard “four or 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 told The Canadian Press.

“I saw a cop go down, I saw the suspect go down,” said the worker, who estimates he heard 30 or 40 gunshots.

Videos posted to social media appear to show the exchange of gunfire between police and a person carrying a long gun who was wearing an olive-coloured jacket and cargo pants.

The videos show a civilian and two officers getting shot, while the person in the olive-coloured clothing appeared to get shot while adjusting or reloading their weapon.

Public safety officials issued an emergency alert about an armed and dangerous suspect, asking residents to shelter in place. The alert triggered temporary closures along a major highway, the Décarie expressway, as well as a temporary shutdown of significant sections of two metro lines.

Dagher confirmed the suspect was dead before authorities issued the alert. Authorities eventually lifted the alert shortly after 3 p.m., while Dagher took questions from reporters.

The province’s police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, said in a statement it had assigned 10 agents to investigate the police operation. The watchdog said the Quebec provincial police would lead a parallel criminal investigation.

At an early evening news conference, Quebec Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière said he would refrain from commenting on details of the suspect’s identity and motives as the matter is under investigation by the independent watchdog.

But he confirmed multiple agencies were consulted, including the RCMP, before investigators concluded that the shooting was not a terrorist attack.

Lafrenière, a former Montreal police officer, also acknowledged that there are some videos circulating of the shooting and urged members of the public not to share them out of respect for those who were killed.

“There’ve been some rumours, there’s been some information stating that a civilian was shot by a police officer,” Lafrenière said. “This is not the kind of information that we can (talk about) at the moment. It’s really the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes that will conduct the investigation.”

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette and Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada expressed their condolences to the victims and their families at the same news conference, announcing that Quebec’s flag would be lowered.

The mayor also praised the response of Montreal police officers, saying their courage helped protect the public during a dangerous situation.

Fréchette added that members of the public could access psychological support services through the 811 hotline.

Houghton, with Surrey police, said whenever there is this kind of tragedy, police across the country have a heightened sense of awareness, whether or not a warning is sent.

“Unfortunately, due to the nature of our job and how risky it is, and potentially violent it is, we know that we are sometimes the target of individuals who may be looking to make a violent statement,” he said.

“When there’s a specific reference to a manifesto or information out there calling on the targeting of police, it heightens our awareness even further.”

A resident of a building near the shooting, who asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety, said he went to his balcony after hearing loud noises followed by screams.

‘’When I went to go look, I saw a police officer on the ground and another one heading to him,” he told The Canadian Press in a phone interview.

He said he saw a broken window at the Hilton hotel.

“So I assumed the person started shooting from that room,” he said.

From afar, the witness watched several officers interact with a suspect and scream instructions, before more police arrived and asked residents to go inside and lock their doors.

‘’When I saw how bad the scene was, I told myself that it was maybe not a good idea for me to be standing on my balcony, so I went back inside and I called a friend, just to speak to someone,’’ he said.

For at least an hour, the resident said, he stayed inside his apartment following the news and trying to understand what was happening. He put a few pieces of furniture in front of his door and turned the lights off, he added.

Police later searched his room, and told him not to open the door to anyone who wasn’t a police officer, he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2026.

— with files from Charlotte Glorieux and Morgan Lowrie in Montreal, and Ashley Joannou in Vancouver