A police officer, a civilian and a gunman died on Monday after an exchange of gunfire in the Côte-des-Neiges district of Montreal, according to city police. A second officer, a woman, was wounded and is in stable condition. The suspect, who was armed with a long gun and dressed in military-style clothing, was shot dead by police at the scene.

The incident began around 11:35 local time when emergency services received a call about a person brandishing a firearm from a window of the Hilton Garden Inn on Décarie Boulevard, police chief Fady Dagher told reporters. Officers arriving at the scene were met with gunfire. Witnesses described hearing dozens of shots and seeing police swarm the area, which is home to kosher restaurants, supermarkets and several Jewish institutions. Authorities issued an emergency alert ordering residents to shelter in place, and closed a section of the Décarie expressway and two metro lines. The lockdown was lifted shortly after 15:00.

The motive for the attack remains unknown, and Quebec’s public security minister, Ian Lafrenière, urged the public to avoid speculation. The location immediately prompted questions about a possible antisemitic motive; the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, a Canadian civil society group, said it was monitoring the situation closely. Some Israeli media and the president of the World Zionist Organization described the shooting as an antisemitic terrorist attack, but Montreal police have not confirmed any such link. Unverified reports in Canadian media suggested the suspect may have left a lengthy manifesto, but officials have not commented on that claim. The identity of the civilian victim and the circumstances of that death have not been released.

The police chief described the day as a “nightmare” and noted it was the first time a Montreal officer had been killed on duty since 2002. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have said they believe the suspect acted alone. No further threat to the public exists, according to police.