Montreal police, community mourn officer killed by gunman

Montreal police are mourning the loss of one of their own, a 34-year-old killed on Monday in a shootout with a gunman outside a hotel in the city's Côte-des-Neiges district.

Police identified the slain officer as Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, who got his start with the force in 2021. 

"His passing is a great loss to our organization. His sense of duty, his dedication, and his professionalism will remain in our memories forever," Montreal police said in a statement.

Yves Francoeur, head of the police brotherhood, said in a statement that Benredouane was a man of honour and courage.

“Our colleague gave his life to protect the citizens of Montreal, remaining faithful to the oath he took until the very end," Francoeur said. "Officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane leaves behind loved ones, colleagues and an entire community."

Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher has said that officers were met with gunfire after responding to a 911 call Monday morning about a person with a gun at the hotel. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, Benredouane was killed and another officer was injured.

Also killed were a bystander — 68-year-old Michel Mizrahi, a well-known member of Montreal's Jewish community — and the alleged shooter, identified as a 25-year-old man from Lethbridge, Alta.

On Monday, Dagher choked up during a news conference when asked about the fallen officer, saying he had met Benredouane a few times and that he was a great man and colleague. 

Stéphanie Valenzuela, the mayor of Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, told reporters on Tuesday that Benredouane was well known in the community. 

''I don't even know what to say,'' she said, visibly touched.

''You have someone who grew up in the neighbourhood who decided to serve his community in the way that he did, and ultimately losing his life.''

Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière, a former Montreal police officer, said in a post on social media that his thoughts are with Benredouane's family.

"Our colleague fell while serving his community, but he will never be forgotten," he said. "It is our duty to remember." 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2026.

— With files from Charlotte Glorieux in Montreal

By Erika Morris | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.