Two people are dead, including a Montreal police officer, following a shootout with a suspect, who was also killed, on Monday afternoon in the city’s most populous borough, Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal police said.
A second officer was transported to the hospital in critical condition, but she is now stable, Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher said at a news conference. One civilian was killed and another sustained minor injuries, he said.
Less than five miles from the skyscrapers and frenzied metropolis of downtown Montreal, Côte-des-Neiges is a quieter, modern residential bubble. The borough is diverse, with pockets defined deeply by Jewish culture, institutions and daily life.
That tranquil normalcy was shattered early in the afternoon as residents remained under hours-long orders to take shelter and lock their doors as authorities investigated an “armed and dangerous suspect.”
Police were responding to a 911 call of gunshots and a gun sticking out of a window around 11:35 a.m. on Décarie Boulevard when officers came under fire in the street, the chief said. Police believe the suspect acted alone.
“Today, one of our own has fallen while carrying out his duty to protect and serve,” Dagher told reporters.
A long gun used by the suspect was seized at the scene, Dagher said, and police are actively working to secure the scene and search for any additional victims.
Police have asked the public to continue avoiding the area, and for those inside the security perimeter to stay indoors “until further notice.”
“I am deeply shaken by the tragic events that took place today in the Côte-des-Neiges area,” Christine Fréchette, the premier of Quebec, said on X. “As the operation and investigation are still ongoing, it is essential to let the authorities do their work and to avoid any speculation.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Sarah Hutter contributed to this report.
