Montreal Mayor Calls for Stricter Gun Control After Deadly Shooting in Côte-des-Neiges
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada is urging stronger gun control measures in Canada following a deadly shooting in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood on Monday, June 22, 2026, which left a police officer, a civilian, and the suspected gunman dead.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Martinez Ferrada expressed deep concern over the ease with which firearms are being used in urban areas. “How can we do a better job of preventing something like this in the future?” she asked. The former Liberal MP for Hochelaga, who supported federal gun control legislation during her time in Parliament, emphasized that while guns may be used for hunting or by Indigenous communities, cities like Montreal need tighter regulations to prevent street violence.
“We must defend ourselves against people’s ability to own weapons and use them in this way on the streets,” Martinez Ferrada said in French. “We don’t believe that in a city like Montreal there is no room at all for people to use guns.”
The mayor also referenced the tragic December 6, 1989 massacre at the École Polytechnique, where 14 women were killed and 14 others injured in a misogynistic attack. “Even people who have experienced Polytechnique will tell you that I think we can go further,” she said, suggesting that current gun laws remain insufficient.
Details of the Shooting
The incident began around 11:35 a.m. Monday when police responded to 911 reports of an armed man seen in the window of a Hilton hotel near the intersection of Trans Island and De Courtrai avenues in the Snowdon district. Upon arrival, officers were immediately fired upon by a man wearing camouflage and carrying a long gun.
Montreal police identified the fallen officer as Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34. A civilian, 68-year-old Michel Mizrahi, was also killed in the crossfire. The Quebec coroner identified the suspect as Seth Scott Hatfield, a 25-year-old from Lethbridge, Alta., who died at the scene.
Community Impact and Response
Stéphanie Valenzuela, district mayor of Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, said some residents in the area are now afraid to leave their homes. “Every time they are in the area they relive what happened yesterday. So it is very difficult for the residents,” she said in French. “All we can do is support them and listen.”
Martinez Ferrada acknowledged the trauma but sought to reassure Montrealers. “I want to reassure Montrealers that Montreal is safe,” she said, adding that recovery will take time.
The mayor also criticized the spread of graphic videos of the shooting on social media. “It desensitizes,” she said. “We cannot accept this. As a society we must be respectful and ensure that we also protect the dignity of the police officer we saw yesterday and the family who had to see these images.”
