Police say three people are dead – a police officer, civilian, and a suspect – in a shooting in Montreal on Monday that triggered an active shooter alert and shelter-in-place order.
Montreal police (SPVM) say an officer who was critically injured is now stable in hospital. A civilian sustained minor injuries.
Police say the suspect was killed during a confrontation with officers.
“It’s one of the worst nightmares,” said SPVM Chief Fady Dagher.
“A very, very sad day.”
It is with great sadness that we confirm the death of one of our police officers while on duty. Further details will follow. pic.twitter.com/vaMLXC4ZrR
Police were called to the shooting in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges borough around 11:35 a.m. after reports of several gunshots near Trans Island and De Courtrai Avenues.
An emergency alert warned people in the area about an armed and dangerous suspect and urged them to stay indoors and away from windows.
“We’re asking everyone to avoid the sector. The situation is not under control,” SPVM spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant said. Police blocked off a residential street in the Côte-des-Neiges district.
Quebce Premier Christine Fréchette said she was “deeply shaken.”
“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, the individuals who were injured, members of the police service, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” Fréchette wrote on X.
“I would like to thank the police officers, first responders, and all those working on the ground. As the operation and investigation are still ongoing, it is essential to allow the authorities to do their work and to avoid speculation.
“Such acts have no place in our society.”
A witness told CityNews he heard multiple gunshots and people firing between two buildings. Police have not said there was more than one suspect.
“I saw the gunfight and we see the police going down,” said Jacob Coutu. “We see the gunman, the hostile gunman coming down, hiding and fighting. You know, he recharges it. He had like a rifle or something. He recharges it and yeah, it was pretty crazy.”
Tanner Burell said police showed up very soon after he heard the initial gunshots.
“From our vantage point, we got to see the police hiding behind a pillar (and) we saw one of them get hit,” Burell recalled. “And then we saw what looked like maybe the gunman coming around that pillar, and then that person also got hit.”
“There was a couple more gunshots. We heard the glass break from the windows.”
Guests at the Hilton Garden Inn, near De Courtrai Avenue and Décarie Boulevard, were asked to take cover in a freezer, according to a person staying at the hotel.
Quebec’s Transport Department says it has closed sections of the Décarie expressway and other parts of the highway network in the central part of the city due to the ongoing police operation.
Officials have also closed the Namur metro station in the area. STM said service on its orange and blue metro lines were interrupted.
In a post on X, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said: “My deepest condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of the police officer who died in the line of duty in Côte-des-Neiges. My thoughts are also with all those affected by this tragedy.”
Mes plus sincères condoléances à la famille, aux proches et aux collègues du policier décédé en service dans Côte-des-Neiges. Mes pensées accompagnent également toutes les personnes touchées par cette tragédie.Nous suivons de près l’évolution de la situation et demandons à la…
The story is developing.