A suspect armed with a long gun opened fire Monday at a Montreal hotel, killing a police officer before officers returned fire, killing him, police said. A civilian also died but it wasn't immediately clear who fired that shot.
Police Chief Fady Dagher said a second officer was seriously injured in the shooting in the city’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood but is in stable condition. He said the shooter was shot dead by police.
The chief said it was the first time in 24 years that a Montreal police officer had been killed in the line of duty. “It’s a very, very sad day. It’s a nightmare,” he told reporters.
Dagher said someone called emergency services around 11:35 a.m. about a person who was sticking a gun out of a window at the Hilton hotel. Police arrived at the scene and were targeted with gunfire, he said. Video showed the shooter was also outside the hotel.
Police are still trying to determine the suspect’s motive.
Dagher said he didn’t know who shot the civilian.
Jacob Coutu, who was working in construction near the shooting, said he heard “four of five gunshots” on Monday morning. A few minutes later, he said police officers started arriving at the scene in large numbers, and he heard more gunfire.
“We saw cops getting in a gunfight, getting shot down,” Coutu said.
He estimates he heard 30 or 40 gunshots.
Public safety officials issued an emergency alert about an armed and dangerous suspect in the area, asking residents to shelter in place. The alert triggered temporary closures along a major highway, the Décarie expressway, as well as a temporary shutdown of significant sections of two subway lines.
Dagher confirmed the suspect was dead before authorities issued the alert. Authorities eventually lifted the alert shortly after 3 p.m.
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