A Montreal police officer was killed and another critically injured in a shootout Monday, marking the third officer murdered in Canada in the first three weeks of June. A civilian was also killed in the incident, which police are investigating as potentially linked to incel ideology.
The gunman, who was shot and killed by police, allegedly arrived from a western province and had distributed a violent manifesto targeting women, according to reports. Police are reviewing a document dated June 22 that expresses grievances about relationships with women, similar to previous mass killings including the 2018 Toronto van attack.
Details of the Montreal shooting
The incident occurred in the Cotes-des-Neiges area of Montreal. Video circulating online shows the suspect already firing at officers when a civilian inadvertently appeared from behind a planter where she was seeking cover. The civilian was struck by gunfire, and the suspect then confronted and shot her. Authorities say the officer who died was killed during the exchange, and his partner remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Montreal Police are expected to provide a fuller briefing later Monday. The suspect reportedly had ties to Calgary, and police have been in contact with his family there.
Nationwide surge in violence against police
The Montreal deaths follow the June killings of Ontario Provincial Police Constable Tarun Bali, who was allegedly run down by a fleeing suspect near Hearst, Ontario, and Toronto Police Constable Marc Pinizzotto, who was shot while executing a search warrant. In addition, two RCMP officers were shot and seriously wounded in Saskatchewan over the weekend, and a Peel Regional Police officer narrowly avoided being hit by at least three bullets fired by a man under a gun prohibition.
Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews described the period as “devastating,” saying every officer feels for the families of those killed in the line of duty. Halton Regional Police Chief Steve Tanner called it “another heartbreaking loss” for law enforcement, adding, “When one falls, we all feel the impact and we’re reminded of the risks and sacrifice police officers face each day.”
Public safety concerns
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw expressed condolences on social media, stating, “We are deeply saddened by the death of a civilian and the loss of an @SPVM officer who was killed in the line of duty today, protecting others. On behalf of the Toronto Police Service, I extend heartfelt condolences to their families and to our policing colleagues.”
Joe Warmington, the columnist, noted that Canada has become “the Wild West” for police, with officers facing constant danger regardless of region. He wrote, “It’s dangerous to be a police officer in Canada. And the numbers of officers shot or shot at this month back that up.”
Three police funerals are scheduled: one already held in June, another on Wednesday, and at least one in Montreal in the coming days.
