Harrowing video captured the horrifying attack by a gunman, allegedly inspired by “incel” ideology, which left a police officer and civilian bystander dead in the Canadian province of Quebec.
The violent scene took place Monday morning in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, where a gunman, dressed in military clothing, fired at police officers outside a building. He was killed during the shooting.
Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, was named by Montreal Police as the officer who died in the shooting. Israel’s consulate in Montreal identified Michael Moshe Mizrahi, 68, as an Israeli citizen, tragically caught in the crossfire. Mizrahi was described by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs as a “beloved member of Montreal’s Jewish community.”
The Quebec coroner identified the alleged shooter as Seth Scott Hatfield, 25, from Lethbridge, Alberta. He had links to the “involuntary celibate” or “incel” ideology, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed official. The ideology, primarily espoused among men, believes society unjustly denies them sexual or romantic attention.
Montreal Police referred The Independent to the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, Quebec’s government agency for police oversight. The bureau declined to comment, citing the pending investigation.
A precise timeline remains unclear but the gunman was captured at around 11.30 a.m. (Eastern Time) by two people filming on cell phones. He was seen outside of a modern, glass-fronted multi-storied building, wearing camouflage-colored clothing and carrying a long gun.
The videos were captured by members of the public filming from two buildings opposite. The Independent has not published the videos in their entirety due to the graphic nature of the footage.
In the videos, the gunman was seen approaching the police officers. He appeared to walk by a civilian, dressed in light blue, before crouching down behind a commercial planter.
Gunshots were heard throughout the incident, with witnesses estimating they also heard between 30 and 40 shots.
Two police officers were seen crouching down behind another planter just a few yards from the shooter, near a parked white vehicle.
One person filming then zoomed in on the gunman, before quickly cutting back to the white vehicle, where one of the officers was seen lying on the street in a pool of blood.
The other police officer, who stayed behind by the planter, was seen with their weapon pointing in the gunman’s direction. A man believed to be a civilian, wearing dark clothing, then came into view. It is not clear where he emerged from. He then appeared to crouch down to join the officer behind the planter, but within seconds, he fell backwards. It was not clear which direction the gunfire came from.
The gunman was then seen moving toward the second officer with his weapon pointed. The camera panned away from the officer and as the gunman attempted to reload his weapon, he falls backwards.
An alternative angle, filmed by a member of the public, showed one police officer appear to pull himself toward the white vehicle on his stomach, before he suddenly collapsed.
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada declined to confirm the identity of the suspect or discuss a possible motive at a Tuesday press conference. The mayor appeared emotional at the briefing, where she paid tribute to the victims of the violence and the police, CNBC reported.
“What happened yesterday should never happen,” she said. “We are so grateful here to have a police department that protects its citizens.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting
