Officials to provide update on Montreal shooting that killed police officer, civilian

quebec city premiere speaks after constabulary ship's officer, suspect and civilian killed in shooting

Lockdown lifted, police officer among 3 dead after Montreal shooting

Police say 3 dead including officer after shooting in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and other elected officials are expected to hold a news conference at 5:15 p.m. ET to provide an update on the situation.

Fréchette was supposed to make an announcement earlier this afternoon in Kahnawà:ke, southwest of Montreal, alongside Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière. 

We will be livestreaming the announcement on this page.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement that he is "horrified" to learn about the police officer and the civilian who were killed, as well as the people who were injured.

"My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, the first responders, and the entire community of Côte‑des‑Neiges," he said. "My gratitude is with our courageous police officers whose heroic dedication protects our communities."

A resident of the nearby Westbury condo complex says gunfire erupted shortly after 11:15 a.m. ET, triggering panic in the normally quiet, family-oriented neighbourhood of Côte-des-Neiges.

Brandon Benchimel-Elkaim says the first shots were quickly followed by families running for safety in a central park area inside the complex.

“I saw parents ripping their kids off of the play structure. They were running for their life,” he said.

Benchimel-Elkaim says a second round of gunfire followed shortly after, which he describes as sounding “much closer,” before a large police response moved in.

“The police presence just swarmed and it didn’t stop swarming for half an hour,” he said, adding that officers, helicopters and canine units all arrived in rapid succession.

He added that seeing the scale of the response outside his home was deeply unsettling.

The Montreal Metro's Orange and Blue lines are running smoothly again, according to the city's transit agency. 

The Décarie Expressway is in the process of reopening in both directions between the Turcot and Décarie interchanges.

The area bordered by Côte-des-Neiges, MacDonald Avenue, Highway 40 and Queen Mary Road remains closed to traffic because the investigation is ongoing.

Dagher said police were called after a witness saw a "gun sticking out of a window" and heard shots fired. 

He confirmed that a civilian was mildly injured in the shooting in addition to the two fatalities and the severely injured police officer who is reportedly in stable condition. 

I am standing on the corner of Plamondon Avenue and Décarie Boulevard, down the street from where the shots were fired this morning.

I took this photo from afar. Not the best quality, but you get a sense of the police presence.

Décarie remains closed, with police cars and ambulances lining the boulevard. Most emergency vehicles appear to be congregated around the corner of Vézina Street and Décarie.

It's been 24 years since a Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) police officer was killed in the line of duty, Dagher reminded reporters.

Benoît L'Ecuyer, 29, was fatally shot on Feb. 28, 2002, after chasing a speeding car. He was a seven-year veteran of the Montreal police force. 

Lockdown lifted, police officer among 3 dead after Montreal shooting

Montreal police say three people — a police officer, a civilian and a suspect — are dead following a shooting in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood on Monday morning. An emergency alert issued earlier in connection with an armed and dangerous suspect has now ended.

The emergency alert issued earlier in connection with an armed and dangerous suspect in Côte-des-Neiges has now ended.

Authorities say the immediate threat to the public is no longer present, and the shelter-in-place order is no longer in effect. 

Speaking to reporters, Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher said the "immediate threat has been neutralized."

"The main suspect has been neutralized," Dagher said, noting that their motives are not yet known. 

Dagher said police were called to 6939 Décarie Boulevard (the Hilton Garden Inn). When they arrived, someone fired shots at them, he said. 

"It's a tragedy. It's a nightmare," Dagher said. 

A civilian and a male police officer died, Dagher said. A female police officer who was in critical condition is now stable. He noted that a weapon used by the suspect has been seized.

He added that his troops have all his admiration and that they do "extraordinary work" while putting their lives at risk. 

He confirmed that the operation is ongoing. 

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said in a post on social media that she was "deeply shaken" by the shooting and that the provincial government would offer its full co-operation to the relevant authorities. 

"Such acts have no place here. We are monitoring the situation closely," Fréchette said. 

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