A gunman in military-style clothing opened fire outside a supermarket and the nearby Hilton hotel in Montréal’s Côte-des-Neiges district around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, killing a 34-year-old police officer and a Jewish civilian. Police said the attacker, who was dressed in camouflage and arrived after a long drive from Alberta, left behind a manifesto attacking women, pornography and modern capitalist society.
Montréal police Chief Fady Dagher called the shooting a “nightmare” and said it had been 24 years since an officer in the city was killed in the line of duty. The fallen officer was Constable Mohamed Lamine Benardoun, who had served since 2021 and was praised for professionalism and dedication. The civilian was identified as Michael Moshe Mizrahi, described by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs as a respected and beloved member of Montréal’s Jewish community.
Authorities say the case is being treated as a local or internal incident rather than classic terrorism, but Jewish leaders say the location, in a kosher-heavy commercial area, deepened already severe fears. The article cites official data showing 6,800 antisemitic incidents in Canada in 2025, about 18.6 a day, up nearly 10 percent from the previous year and 145 percent since 2022. Jews make up about 1 percent of Canada’s population but account for 69 to 75 percent of religiously motivated hate crimes.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said hostile actors are using online networks and encrypted apps to recruit and pay teenagers to carry out shootings at synagogues and schools, sometimes requiring proof on video for payment. A Leger poll found 31 percent of Canadians, and 37 percent of university students, believe antisemitism has become more acceptable. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the situation a “crisis of antisemitism,” pledged C$274 million over six years, and introduced Bill C-9 to protect houses of worship with protest-free zones and tougher penalties for hate symbols.
Jewish groups and opposition leaders have criticized Carney’s new advisory council on antisemitism, including former Liberal minister Omar Alghabra. Other controversies in academia and culture, including a firing over support for Israel and disputes at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, are cited as signs of a wider climate. At the same time, about 60,000 Jews and supporters recently joined Toronto’s “March with Israel,” while 90-year-old Holocaust survivor Andrew Fox urged vigilance, memory, and public courage.
