Mayor's Statement: Shooting in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

It was with great shock, bewilderment, and sadness that we witnessed the events that occurred yesterday, June 22nd, in the neighboring borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. This terrible shooting claimed the lives of three people and left several others injured.

On behalf of the City Council and the City, I offer my deepest condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of Officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, who fell in the line of duty while fulfilling his mission to protect and serve. His courage and dedication remind us of what we owe every day to the women and men who keep us safe.

Our thoughts are also with the family and loved ones of Mr Michael Moshe Mizrahi, an innocent citizen whose life was cut short in this tragedy, as well as all the communities grieving this loss. To the police officer and the citizen who were injured, we extend our sincere wishes for a prompt and full recovery.

In tribute to the victims of this tragedy, the City of Westmount flag will be flown at half-mast. We stand in deep solidarity with our neighbors in Côte-des-Neiges, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and the entire metropolitan community during these painful hours.

I would also like to thank the residents of Westmount, particularly those north of The Boulevard. Indeed, at the request of the SPVM, Lexington, Upper Belmont, Upper Lansdowne, Lansdowne Ridge, Upper Roslyn, and Sunnyside streets had to be closed to conduct final verification patrols before the alert was fully lifted. These streets remained inaccessible for part of the afternoon, and numerous police cars patrolled the area until early evening. These closures and the police deployment certainly caused anxiety for many of you who were seeking more information. Please be assured that, based on the information available to us, and with a constant concern not to interfere with ongoing police operations, the City did its best to keep you informed. Furthermore, this incident allowed us to use some of our new alert tools for the first time. We were thus able to identify certain technical issues; please rest assured that we will make the necessary corrections to be even better prepared for the future. I thank you for your patience, your calm, and your cooperation.

In these moments of violence, we must more than ever come together, support one another, and continue to promote our values of tolerance, peace, and solidarity, which are essential to the well-being of our community.

As Martin Luther King once said, 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.' Let us continue to embody this light for our loved ones and our neighbors.

Michael Stern
Mayor of Westmount