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Gunman Opens Fire in Heart of Montreal’s Jewish Community, Killing Police Officer and Rabbi

Ailin Vilches Arguello

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A member of law enforcement personnel works at the scene outside the US Consulate after shots were fired, in To

A gunman opened fire on Monday in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, the heart of the city’s Jewish community, killing a police officer and a local rabbi in one of the latest violent attacks raising alarm over the safety of Jewish residents.

Local police reported that the shooting began around 11:30 am, with witnesses describing more than 20 to 30 shots fired, prompting officers to establish a perimeter, close surrounding roads, and deploy a heavy security presence across the district.

Emergency alerts were sent to residents instructing them to stay inside, secure their homes, and avoid windows, while Jewish schools, businesses, and community institutions across the neighborhood went into lockdown.

The neighborhood is one of Canada’s most prominent Jewish hubs, home to numerous kosher establishments, Jewish schools, community centers, and a major Chabad presence.

Authorities confirmed that a police officer and a civilian were killed in the attack, with the civilian identified as Rabbi Michael Moshe Mizrahi, a member of the local Jewish community.

According to local media reports, Mizrahi may have been fatally struck in the crossfire during an exchange of gunfire between police officers and the attacker, who authorities confirmed was also killed.

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Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Cohen, a Chabad emissary in Montreal, told Israeli outlet Ynet that gunfire struck a building adjacent to the local Chabad House, prompting approximately 100 people, including volunteers, to seek refuge inside.

Local law enforcement said no official motive has yet been established.

“For now, we don’t really know what the motive of this individual was,” said Quebec’s public security minister, Ian Lafreniere.

The suspect allegedly circulated a manifesto to multiple news organizations before carrying out the attack. Authorities are still examining whether the shooting was a targeted ambush or part of a broader network.

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada condemned the attack, praising the swift response of first responders and pledging full cooperation with investigators as the city grapples with the aftermath of the tragedy.

“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,” the Canadian official said in a statement.

“My thoughts are also with all those affected by this tragedy,” he continued.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) also condemned the attack, expressing solidarity with the victims and gratitude to the emergency personnel deployed to protect the community.

“We are wholeheartedly with the law enforcement forces who risk their lives every day to ensure our safety,” the statement read.

Like most countries across the Western world, Canada has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents over the last two years, in the wake of the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

According to the latest data, antisemitic incidents in Canada surged to a record high in 2025 for the second consecutive year, with 6,800 acts of anti-Jewish hate reported nationwide, underscoring a persistently hostile climate for Jews and Israelis across the country.

The Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada released its annual report on antisemitism in April, documenting a 9.3 percent increase in hate crimes last year that surpassed the previous record total of 6,219 set in 2024.

Early 2026 data already indicate the country is on track to see its most violent year against the Jewish community in recent memory, with more violent antisemitic attacks recorded so far this year than during all of 2025.

In total, 11 violent antisemitic attacks have already been recorded across the country since the start of 2026, surpassing the 10 violent incidents documented during all of last year, when more than 6,800 antisemitic cases were reported nationwide.

Last month, a group of Jewish worshippers standing outside the Congregation Chasidei Bobov synagogue in Montreal was targeted in a drive-by shooting, leaving one person with minor injuries.

A week earlier, three visibly Jewish residents were targeted in a separate antisemitic attack when suspects opened fire with a gel-pellet gun, causing minor injuries.

Two synagogues in Toronto were also targeted by gunfire earlier last month, marking the third shooting targeting Jewish institutions in less than a week and intensifying fears of a rapidly deteriorating security climate for Jews and Israelis across Canada.

The incidents came just four days after another attack in Toronto, in which a Jewish-owned restaurant and a local synagogue were also hit by gunfire.

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