Police assess that the gunman's target was the responding officers, not Jewish institutions, according to sources quoted by CNN. The assessment contradicts the Jewish community's insistence that the attack was aimed at Jewish businesses and the Chabad center.
A new assessment by Montreal police, cited by CNN on Tuesday morning, indicates that Monday's deadly shooting in the Côte-des-Neiges district — near a Chabad center and Jewish business hub — was likely aimed at the police officers who responded to the scene, rather than at Jewish institutions or the community itself. The report comes hours after the Montreal Jewish community insisted to Israeli media that the attack deliberately targeted Jewish businesses and a synagogue, directly contradicting the police version.
As The Zioneer reported on Monday evening, the incident began with an ambush near a Chabad center and kosher supermarket, leaving one police officer dead and another critically wounded. The gunman was neutralized. A civilian, Michael Moshe Mizrahi, was also killed, with police investigating whether he was struck by stray fire from officers during a supermarket hostage crisis. The motive remains unconfirmed; early unverified reports suggesting an 'incel' ideology or a possible 'contracted' attack have not been corroborated by official sources.
Tuesday's CNN report is the first on-record suggestion that the officers — not the Jewish community — were the intended target. The assessment is attributed to police sources but has not been officially confirmed in a press briefing. The Jewish community's representatives maintain their view that the location and nature of the attack indicate an antisemitic motive. This remains an open question as the investigation continues.
3 developments
- StrongNew footage from Montreal attack scene shows police operation underway
- StrongNew details emerge on deadly shooting in Montreal — suspected 'Incel' attack
- DevelopingMontreal shooter reportedly traveled from Alberta; motive uncertain — unconfirmed reports raise 'contracted' theory
- StrongZAKA says teams on the ground in Montreal as Jewish community monitors wounded
Source and signal
- Internal intake