Tomer Almagor
Tomer Almagor is the local police chief in Montreal, Canada, currently overseeing the investigation into a deadly June 2026 shooting spree in the Côte-des-Neiges district.
Tomer Almagor serves as the local police chief in Montreal, Canada. He rose to international prominence in June 2026 following a violent security incident in the Côte-des-Neiges district, an area with a high concentration of Jewish residents and institutions. Almagor has been the primary public face of the law enforcement response, describing the events of Monday, June 22, as a "tragedy" and a "nightmare."
Under Almagor's leadership, the Montreal police have had to navigate a complex investigation involving multiple potential motives. The shooting, which occurred near a Chabad center and a kosher supermarket, initially sparked fears of a targeted antisemitic terror attack. However, Almagor's department later provided assessments to international outlets, including CNN, suggesting that the gunman’s primary targets may have been the responding police officers rather than the Jewish community itself. This assessment has been a point of contention, as local Jewish community leaders have maintained that the proximity to Jewish businesses and religious centers indicates a clear bias motive.
In addition to the targeting analysis, Almagor's investigators are exploring links between the perpetrator and the "incel" (involuntary celibate) extremist ideology. As the chief of police, Almagor is responsible for balancing the security needs of Montreal's diverse population while addressing the specific anxieties of the Jewish community during a period of heightened global tension. His handling of the Côte-des-Neiges shooting remains under scrutiny as the city seeks to understand the full scope of the threat and the motivations behind the ambush that left a police officer and a Jewish civilian dead.