Montreal shooting officer, civilian and suspect dead.

A police officer, a civilian and a gunman were killed on Monday in a midday shootout in Montreal, Canada.

The city’s police chief said the unidentified male suspect, believed to have acted alone, was shot dead immediately. Another police officer was seriously injured and is said to be in good condition.

The attacks took place in different parts of the city of Cote-des-Neiges. A witness saw “a gun out the window,” heard gunshots and called police, investigators said.

Quebec’s security minister said the cause was unclear.

After the attack, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) sent a warning to other police forces in Canada, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported. The ad is said to have warned citizens about a document that was being circulated that encouraged citizens to shoot police officers.

Local resident Danny Wilk told AFP news agency that he was near his house when he heard gunshots.

“I tried to take cover at a nearby pizzeria and that’s when I saw the shooter dressed in military gear ready to fire his weapon,” Wilk said.

The resident said he saw the policeman shot on the ground before the assailant himself was shot by police.

Monday’s incident marks the first time a Montreal police officer has been killed in the line of duty in a quarter century.

“It’s a nightmare,” Montreal police chief Fadi Dagger told reporters during an emotional press conference.

The police department later identified the slain officer as 34-year-old Mohamed Lamin Benredowan, who had been on the force since 2021.