A frum Montreal resident and member of the Chabad community, Michoel Moshe Mizrachi, was critically wounded and later passed away on Monday during a terrorist shooting attack in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood, near the Chabad center of shliach and director of MADA, Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Cohen.

The incident unfolded during the morning hours when armed attackers opened fire in a busy area near Jewish stores and community locations, including Broadway Pizza and Deli 770, causing panic throughout the surrounding community.

“There were 10 or 12 shots in a row,” one witness told Canadian broadcaster CTV. “Parents and children ran from the park in panic. We are all in total shock that this is happening in our neighborhood, which is usually quiet. We are surrounded by schools. It is usually a very family-oriented area.”

Montreal police confirmed that two people died: a police officer and the suspect. A second officer, a policewoman, was seriously wounded.

The shooting began around 11:30 a.m. at the corner of De Courtrai Avenue and Trans Island Avenue, where a gunman — dressed in military-style clothing and from Alberta — fired from a room at the Hilton Hotel using a weapon mounted on a tripod. Police are examining whether officers were lured to the scene in an ambush. The suspect sent a manifesto to media outlets before the attack and was shot and killed by police. SPVM Chief Fady Dagher confirmed there are no remaining suspects.

Footage from the scene appears to show Mizrachi taking cover behind a planter amid the crossfire. When he got up to move, a policewoman — apparently startled by his sudden appearance — shot him at close range. The exact circumstances of his wounding remain under investigation.

David Kakon, a member of the MADA community, described Mizrachi: “He loves to celebrate together with everyone. Someone who is always smiling, always has a kind word for someone else. Loves his family, loves Israel, and loves being a Jew. We are praying.”

An emergency alert warned residents to remain indoors, lock their doors, and avoid the area around De Courtrai and Trans Island avenues.

“The shooting was toward a building close to the Chabad house,” Rabbi Cohen told Ynet. “They fired from the hotel at another building. One shooter was caught, and they are apparently still looking for the second.” Canadian police evacuated people from nearby hotels into the Chabad center. “We are here with about 100 people, volunteers and people who were brought here,” Rabbi Cohen said. “I was sitting in my office, and suddenly police officers came in and said no one was allowed to leave the building, and they evacuated people from hotels to us. We are okay.”

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said she was “deeply shaken” by the shooting. “Such acts have no place here,” she said, adding that the provincial government would offer its full cooperation to the relevant authorities.

Quebec Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière called the incident “a very sad moment.” “As a retired police officer, it affects me deeply,” he said.

“Antisemitism in the United States and Canada is at an all-time high,” Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis said. “As we warned, words turn into actions. When leaders and elected officials incite against Israel and Jews, it is no surprise that we are seeing a sharp rise in attacks of this kind.”

The shooting came just three weeks after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that Canada was failing to protect its Jewish community amid a record surge in antisemitic incidents.

The Côte-des-Neiges area is home to a large Jewish and Chabad presence, including Chabad centers, Beis Rivkah, MADA Montreal, the Vaad Ha’ir, Yagdil Torah, kosher restaurants, and other community institutions.

Dagher later confirmed that the “immediate threat to the public is no longer present” and that sheltering in place was no longer required.

Update 6:54 ET: Michoel Moshe Mizrachi (מיכאל משה בן מרים) has passed away. Boruch dayan hoemes.

This is a developing story.

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