The Israeli Consulate General in Montreal confirmed that one of those killed was Michael Moshe Mizrahi, 68, an Israeli citizen and well-known member of the local Jewish community. According to reports, Mizrahi was hit during the gunfire exchange at the scene after being mistakenly suspected of being one of those involved in the incident. He was critically wounded and later pronounced dead.
1+Also killed in the incident was Officer Mohamed Lamine Ben Rouane, who had served with the Montreal police since 2021. The local police mourned him, calling it “a great loss to the organization” and emphasizing the sense of mission and professionalism that characterized his service.
1+The shooting took place in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, an area with a large Jewish community and near a Chabad house, a kosher restaurant, and other community institutions. Following initial reports of gunfire from a nearby hotel, large police forces rushed to the scene, evacuating civilians and conducting extensive searches in the area. The shooter was killed during the incident, and another officer was critically wounded.
As investigators probe the circumstances of the shooting, new details are emerging about the attacker’s possible motive. According to reports in Canada, the shooter left behind a manifesto in which he adopted ideas associated with “incel” ideology, an extremist phenomenon combining feelings of alienation, loneliness, and misogyny. In the document, which spanned dozens of pages, the shooter expressed harsh criticism of Western society, the pornography industry, and the economic system, alongside an explicit call for struggle against police forces.
Investigators have not yet determined whether there is a direct connection between the manifesto’s content and the choice of attack target. Montreal Police Chief Fadi Dagher said at a press conference that at this stage the motive for the incident has not been definitively clarified, and that all investigative leads are being examined.
ZAKA is working these days to bring Mizrahi for burial in Israel. Moishy Blech, a Montreal resident and ZAKA volunteer from the international unit, said: “This is a difficult incident still being investigated by local authorities. The shock in the community is very great. The deceased was known and loved, a man who prayed with us in the synagogue. We all share in the family’s grief and are waiting for the investigation results that will clarify the circumstances of the incident. As soon as it was possible, I entered the scene to collect the remains and bring them for burial.”
The incident occurred while Canada is hosting the World Cup along with the United States and Mexico, and sparked widespread reverberations in the country. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the shooting and the background to the attacker’s actions, alongside examining the conduct of forces operating at the scene.