Montreal Gunfire Response
Montreal Police Officer Killed, Second Injured in Côte-des-Neiges Shooting; Suspect Neutralized.
Key Points
Shots were fired around 11:35 a.m. in the Côte-des-Neiges area, a busy district with residential buildings and grocery stores nearby.
La Presse reported that one person had died and two police officers were wounded, though police had not yet confirmed these figures.
police cautioned that it was not yet clear whether the incident constituted an active shooter event.
Video footage circulated showing a shattered window at a high-rise as armed police responded to the scene.
An emergency alert from the Quebec Emergency Response Team instructed residents in the targeted zone to shelter indoors, lock doors, stay away from windows, and follow authorities' instructions.
A gunman opened fire in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood on June 22, killing one police officer and wounding another before being shot dead by tactical units. The attack began around 11:35 a.m. near the corner of De Courtrai and Trans Island Avenues, steps from a busy shopping complex and residential high-rises. CP24 reported the SPVM confirmed the officer's death, with a spokesperson saying, "Our community is in mourning."
A second officer and at least one civilian were also injured, bringing the total casualty count to four — two officers, one civilian, and the suspect. Airdrie City View confirmed the officer fatality following an initial alert that described only injuries. Police declared the suspect "neutralized" at approximately 1:22 p.m., nearly two hours after the first shots were fired.
Gunfire Erupts Near Decarie Square at Midday
The shooting started around 11:30 a.m. with multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots near Decarie Square, a major retail hub in one of Montreal's most densely populated boroughs. Officers arrived within minutes and immediately came under fire. One officer was shot and a second was injured in that first exchange, according to CP24.
Video footage showed shattered windows on a nearby high-rise as armed police flooded the scene. Eyewitnesses described the suspect wearing camouflage or military-style gear. Tactical units from the GTI — Montreal's elite intervention group — moved in to clear the Supermarché PA Westbury and surrounding buildings. The suspect was killed during the operation.
Emergency Alert Locks Down Thousands of Residents
At 11:45 a.m., Québec En Alerte pushed an "imminent threat" notification to every mobile phone in the Montreal area. The alert told residents in Côte-des-Neiges to shelter indoors, lock their doors, stay away from windows, and follow police instructions. CP24 reported the alert was issued for an "armed and dangerous" suspect in the targeted zone.
Transport Québec closed a 5-kilometre stretch of the Décarie Expressway (Highway 15) southbound, along with access ramps to Highway 40 and Route 136, to clear the way for emergency crews. Decarie Square and surrounding businesses, including medical clinics, shut down for the day. Some civil rights groups later questioned the wide perimeter, which effectively locked down thousands of uninvolved residents for more than three hours.
Officer Death Marks Canada's Deadliest Month for Police
This killing is the second Canadian police fatality in June 2026 alone, following the death of Toronto Constable Marc Pinizzotto on June 11. Nationally, 19 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in just the first five months of 2026 — a sharp rise above the previous five-year average. The SPVM added 328 new recruits in 2024–2025 under a $225 million provincial agreement aimed at combating armed violence.
Security analyst Antoni Nerestant told CP24 that the suspect's use of military-style gear pointed to a "premeditated, high-intent attack" rather than a spontaneous crime. Opposition leaders quickly called for a review of active-shooter protocols and questioned whether the 15-minute gap between the first shots and the emergency alert was too long. The SPVM has not yet confirmed a motive.
Location Near Jewish Sites Raises Hate Crime Questions
The attack took place steps from synagogues and schools in a neighbourhood with a large Jewish community. Leaders from Chabad of NDG said they sheltered nearly 100 people in nearby buildings during the shooting. Jewish advocacy group CIJA called the location evidence of an escalating "antisemitism crisis," pointing to a string of overnight shootings at the Yeshiva Gedola school and other Jewish institutions in 2025.
B'nai Brith Canada recorded 6,800 cases of anti-Jewish hatred in 2025 — an average of 18.6 incidents per day. By May 2026, violent antisemitic incidents had already surpassed the full-year 2025 total. However, CP24 and other local outlets cautioned that the SPVM has not confirmed any hate-crime or terror motive, and the investigation remains open. Authorities were expected to hold a press conference later in the day.
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