Two people were killed Monday in a shooting near a Chabad House in Montreal's heavily Jewish Côte-des-Neiges district, Canadian media reported. The victims were identified as a police officer and Michael Moshe Mizrahi, a member of the local Jewish community who was struck while passing through the area.
Authorities said the suspect had been “neutralized,” while police continued securing the area near a kosher restaurant and supermarket.
Assailant opens fire in heavily Jewish area in Montreal
According to the reports, the shooting began around 11:30 a.m. local time. Shortly afterward, residents in the area received an emergency alert on their phones warning of an “armed and dangerous suspect.”
“If you are in the area, take shelter inside a building, lock the doors, stay away from windows and follow the instructions of local authorities,” the alert said. A similar warning was broadcast on local radio and television channels.
Canadian media reported that police were called to the scene after gunfire had already broken out. Videos from the area showed security forces rushing with weapons drawn toward a local supermarket branch. Jean-Pierre Brabant, a Montreal police officer, said earlier that the incident was “not under control.”
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Police officers take positions with weapons drawn during an active shooter response in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood
Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Cohen, the Chabad emissary in Montreal, told ynet that the shooting took place near the local Chabad center.
“The shooting was toward a building close to the Chabad house. They fired from the hotel at another building,” he said. “One shooter was caught, and they are apparently still looking for the second.”
He said Canadian police evacuated people from nearby hotels into the Chabad house. “We are here with about 100 people, volunteers and people who were brought here,” Cohen said. “I was sitting in my office, and suddenly police officers came in and said no one was allowed to leave the building, and they evacuated people from hotels to us. We are okay.”
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Montreal police secure the scene and assist civilians during a shooting incident near several Jewish community institutions in the Côte-des-Neiges district
Tzipi Tzeigerman, an Israeli MDA medic who lives in Montreal and volunteers with a Jewish emergency organization, told ynet that the shooting unfolded directly below her home. “I see everything. We heard shots below and immediately many police forces were called in. There are many helicopters here,” she said. Tzeigerman noted that the area is Jewish and includes a kosher grocery store and a Chabad house.
A witness named Brandon, who lives nearby, told Canadian broadcaster CTV: “There were 10 or 12 shots in a row. Parents and children ran from the park in panic. We are all in total shock that this is happening in our neighborhood, which is usually quiet. We are surrounded by schools. It is usually a very family-oriented area.”
ZAKA’s international unit said Mizrahi was taken to a hospital, where he died of his wounds. The organization said the circumstances of his death remain under investigation, including whether he was hit during the exchange of fire.
“This is a difficult incident that is still being investigated by local authorities,” said Moishy Blech, a Montreal resident and ZAKA volunteer. “The shock in the community is immense. The deceased was well known and beloved, a man who prayed with us at the synagogue.”
“We all share in the family's grief and are awaiting the results of the investigation, which will clarify the circumstances of the incident. As soon as we are allowed to enter the scene, we will work to collect the remains and ensure the deceased is treated with dignity and brought to burial in accordance with Jewish law.”
Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis spoke with Israel’s consul general in Montreal, Eliaz Luf, for an update on the shooting.
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Heavily armed officers enter a supermarket building during the emergency response to a shooting in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood
“Antisemitism in the United States and Canada is at an all-time high,” Akunis said. “As we warned, words turn into actions. When leaders and elected officials incite against Israel and Jews, it is no surprise that we are seeing a sharp rise in attacks of this kind.”
The shooting came just three weeks after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that Canada was failing to protect its Jewish community amid a record surge in antisemitic incidents. Speaking at a national forum on antisemitism, Carney said many Canadian Jews no longer feel safe and pledged stronger action against hate crimes, saying the country must do more to confront the growing crisis.
First published: 20:09, 06.22.26