Michel Mizrahi, a 68-year-old civilian fatally wounded during a shootout in Montreal earlier this week, was remembered by family, friends, and community members as a selfless figure who helped save lives amid the chaos. Hundreds gathered Wednesday morning at the Paperman & Sons funeral home, located near the site of Monday’s deadly incident, to pay tribute to Mr. Mizrahi’s courage and generosity.
The shooting occurred in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges district outside a hotel near the offices of Aylo, the parent company of the adult-content distributor Pornhub. Authorities have not confirmed a specific target for the gunman but are investigating the possibility that the company was involved, according to an unnamed national-security source.
Seth Scott Hatfield, 25, a university student from Lethbridge, Alberta, was identified as the suspect responsible for the attack. Police carried out a search of Mr. Hatfield’s residence on Tuesday, with tactical and explosive disposal teams present. By Wednesday morning, the operation had concluded, and residents who had been evacuated were allowed to return to their homes.
The gunfire left three people dead: Michel Mizrahi, Constable Mohamed Lamine Benredouane of the Montreal police, and the gunman himself. A female officer also sustained serious injuries. An Islamic funeral prayer for Constable Benredouane was held Wednesday evening, with a public memorial planned for a later date.
Eyewitnesses recounted that Mr. Mizrahi played a critical role during the shooting by guiding bystanders to safety. Two women, Keren Loutati and Liel Navi, who were near Aylo’s offices, described how Mr. Mizrahi alerted them to the danger and directed them to shelter inside a nearby shop. They, along with others, remained hidden in a bathroom for two hours as gunshots rang out. Ms. Loutati called Mr. Mizrahi “like an angel” for his actions that helped protect several people.
Video footage from the scene suggests that Mr. Mizrahi was shot accidentally by police amid the firefight. Montreal police have declined to comment on the specifics of the incident or confirm how Mr. Mizrahi was killed.
Those who knew Mr. Mizrahi spoke of his deeply caring nature. His son, Shlomi Mizrahi, said his father’s instinct to help others was "stronger than him" and that he died a hero. Longtime friends recalled that Mr. Mizrahi immigrated to Canada in the 1980s from Beirut and remained close to his childhood companions in Montreal.
A manifesto attributed to Mr. Hatfield that circulated online expressed a range of grievances, including antisemitic and anti-capitalist sentiments, as well as violent rhetoric targeting police and others. Authorities have confirmed that the document is linked to the suspect.
Family and friends expressed frustration over the uncertainty they faced in the hours following the shooting, with some relatives forced to search multiple hospitals for news of Mr. Mizrahi’s condition. Mr. Mizrahi’s body is scheduled to be buried in Israel, where his two daughters reside.