Montreal shooting victim remembered as devoted father and friend

Michel Mizrahi had planned to meet with his son on Monday but got caught up in an exchange of fire between Montreal police and a gunman, says Sarah Raskin.

Raskin, who is co-director of a synagogue Mizrahi attended for more than 30 years, said she thinks he saved people when the gunfire began outside a Hilton hotel in the Côte-des-Neiges district. 

She said Mizrahi, who was in a nearby coffee shop, realized the danger and quickly warned others nearby. 

"He told them not to come in and he told them where to go, and they just missed the killer by minutes," said Raskin, who heard the story from a synagogue congregant whose family member was at the coffee shop with Mizrahi.

The 68-year-old was identified by Quebec's coroner as the civilian victim of the shooting that also claimed the life of a police officer and the suspect. On Tuesday, Mizrahi was being remembered as a devoted father of three and a well-known member of Montreal's Jewish community.

Raskin says Mizrahi had been a member of Beth Chabad synagogue in Côte-St-Luc for decades, and that it was typical of him to try to help people.

"This is the kind of person he was — giving to the last minute of his life," she said.

Raskin says she'll remember Mizrahi for his generosity and his kindness toward his friends, family and community. He was always well-dressed, often in a suit, and would insist on picking up the bill for coffees and meals with friends, she said.

She said he sold high-end suits, and was known for lowering the price to what he knew people could afford. She said her son bought a suit from Mizrahi recently and came home with extra ties for the men in the family.

"It was just his gesture of wanting to give in any way that mattered, just to say, 'I care about you guys,'" Raskin said. "That was him."

Lauren Berenholc, who knew Mizrahi for more than 20 years, describes him as "one in a million."

She says she was struck by his "unwavering love" to his three children — two daughters and a son. 

She said almost everyone in his neighbourhood knew him, because he was the first to step up to help a neighbour. "He was a true gentleman and a real class act," Berenholc said.

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette extended condolences to Mizrahi's family and friends on social media. 

"Nobody should lose a loved one, especially in this way," she wrote. "My thoughts are also with members of the Jewish community, in which he was personally involved."

Raskin says Mizrahi's family is travelling to Israel, where they're hoping to bury him. She says the synagogue also wants to hold a community event to honour him at a later date. 

"Everybody is just shattered, and everybody is looking to try to find a way to make peace or sense out of the story," she said. "There's no sense to make."

In the meantime, she's hoping his death will encourage others to do a small act of kindness for someone else, as Mizrahi did so many times during his life.

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

By Morgan Lowrie | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.