Canadian police are warning of potential copycat attacks following a deadly shootout in Montreal that left three people dead, including a police officer. The assailant's 104-page manifesto, which contains 'incel' rhetoric and calls for violence, was posted online by the far-right outlet Rebel News.
Shooting Details
On Monday, a man dressed in military camouflage and carrying a long gun was spotted in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood. Police responded to reports of shots fired, and a firefight ensued with nearly 30 rounds exchanged. The gunman and one officer were killed. Video evidence suggests police may have accidentally shot a civilian, later identified as Michel Mizrahi, an Israeli citizen. Another officer was critically injured but is expected to survive.
Manifesto Content
The manifesto, which the federal police bulletin says 'allegedly encourages citizens to shoot police officers,' blames feminism, liberalism, and capitalism for the shooter's perceived 'terrible loneliness, isolation, and social degradation' of men. It lists 'valid potential class A targets' including investment banks, politicians, 'influential Zionists,' corporate executives, plastic surgeons, and cryptocurrency speculators. The document concludes with 'Be unflinching, go forth, and KILL THEM ALL!'
Police Response
Canada's federal police sent a nationwide bulletin urging officers to 'exercise extreme caution and remain highly vigilant.' The slain officer was identified as Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, who joined the force in 2021. Quebec's domestic security minister, Ian Lafrenière, stated that rumors about the civilian being shot by police are under investigation by the province's police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI).
Context of Incel Violence
This incident is part of a pattern of extremist misogynist violence in Canada. In 2018, a van attack in Toronto killed 10 people. A 2020 machete attack at a Toronto spa, which killed one woman and injured another, was the first incel-related case deemed an act of terrorism by Canadian courts. The country also remembers the 1989 Polytechnique massacre, where a gunman killed 14 women.
Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette expressed being 'deeply shocked and saddened,' ordering the Quebec flag to fly at half-mast. Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was 'horrified' and extended condolences. Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada offered 'deepest condolences' to the officer's family.
