Montreal Shooting Investigation: Officer and Civilian Killed, Manifesto Under Scrutiny
Investigation into Deadly Shooting in Montreal
Authorities in Montreal are actively probing a tragic shooting incident that occurred in the Côte-des-Neiges area, resulting in the deaths of a police officer and a civilian. The confrontation took place on Monday, culminating in the death of the alleged shooter, who was killed by responding officers. The suspect has been identified by local media as 25-year-old Seth Scott Hatfield from Lethbridge, Alberta, although officials have yet to confirm his identity or the motive behind the attack.
Reports indicate that investigators have retrieved a 104-page manifesto purportedly authored by the suspect, which he allegedly shared with various media outlets prior to the incident. This document is currently under examination as part of the ongoing inquiry. According to police sources, the manifesto promotes a violent uprising against contemporary capitalist society and includes derogatory remarks about police, Jewish individuals, women, and pornography.
In the manifesto, Hatfield expresses grievances about male loneliness and criticizes pornography, claiming it contributes to the plight of men today. He allegedly calls for a violent revolution to dismantle modern capitalist structures, urging followers to take up arms. The police are scrutinizing the document to ascertain the shooter's motivations and whether he had specific targets in mind during the attack.
Witnesses reported seeing an individual in military-style attire wielding what appeared to be a long firearm as heavily armed officers responded to the scene. Residents were advised to stay indoors while police operations were underway. During a press briefing, Montreal police chief Fady Dagher confirmed that the investigation is ongoing. He noted that it has been 24 years since a Montreal officer was killed in the line of duty, describing the incident as a profound tragedy.
Dagher also provided an update on the condition of a second officer who was critically injured, stating that she is now stable and no longer in danger. While the police have possession of the manifesto, they have not yet determined if the shooting was a premeditated ambush or if the suspect was part of a larger network. The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), Quebec's independent police oversight agency, is also looking into the incident.
The officer who lost his life has been named as Constable Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, who had been with the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) since 2021. The civilian victim, Michael Moshe Mizrahi, was a member of Montreal's Jewish community and affiliated with a local Chabad center. Originally from Lebanon, Mizrahi had lived in Israel before moving to Montreal and is survived by a son and two daughters residing in Israel. Further details regarding the investigation are yet to be announced.