Shooting in Montreal leaves officer, civilian and gunman dead

A suspect armed with a long gun opened fire on Monday at a Montreal hotel, killing a police officer before officers returned fire, killing him, police said. A civilian also died but it was not immediately clear who fired that shot.

Police Chief Fady Dagher said a second officer was seriously injured in the shooting in the city’s Cote-des-Neiges neighbourhood but was 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.

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 were still trying to determine the suspect’s motive. The bloodshed occurred in a partly Jewish neighbourhood that includes kosher markets and restaurants, and the civilian who has shot dead has been identified as a member of Montreal’s Jewish community.

Dagher said he did not know who shot the civilian, and stressed the investigation had not yet produced any indications as to the gunman’s motive. “It’s important to be very careful of rumours,” he said.