Professor who killed four colleagues at Concordia dies in prison

By the Editorial Team · Monday, June 29, 2026

Valery Fabrikant, the former Concordia University professor who killed four colleagues in a 1992 shooting spree, has died in prison at age 86 after serving a life sentence. His death recalls a tragic event that led to major security reforms at Concordia and ongoing debates about gun control in Montreal.

Valery Fabrikant, the former Concordia University professor responsible for a deadly shooting spree in 1992 that claimed the lives of four colleagues, has died in prison at the age of 86. Fabrikant had been serving a life sentence since his conviction in 1993 for murder, attempted murder, and forcible confinement.

Correctional Services Canada confirmed that Fabrikant passed away from apparent natural causes at the Archambault Institution, located north of Montreal. Over the course of his incarceration, Fabrikant’s requests for parole and sentence reductions were repeatedly denied.

The shooting occurred on August 24, 1992, at Concordia’s Harry F. Hall Building in Montreal. Fabrikant opened fire on the ninth floor, killing professors Matthew McCartney Douglass, Michael Gorden Hogben, Aaron Jaan Saber, and Phoivos Ziogas. A secretary, Elizabeth Horwood, was also wounded but survived the attack. After taking two hostages, Fabrikant was detained by authorities.

Born in the Soviet Union, Fabrikant immigrated to Canada in 1979. He was employed as a mechanical engineering professor at Concordia before developing escalating tensions and paranoid resentments toward his colleagues. His behavior reportedly included wild allegations and threats of violence, culminating in the shooting.

During his trial, Fabrikant dismissed legal counsel and chose to represent himself. He maintained that the killings were acts of self-defense, a claim that was rejected by multiple judges overseeing the case. In prison, he became known for filing numerous legal motions and was eventually designated a vexatious litigant due to his abusive use of the court system.

The 1992 incident revived discussions about gun control in Montreal, following closely on the heels of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, which left 14 women dead. The debate intensified again after another recent shooting in Montreal’s Côtes-des-Neiges neighborhood on June 22, which resulted in the deaths of a police officer, a civilian, and the assailant. That event prompted the city’s mayor to advocate for stricter regulations on private gun ownership.

Following Fabrikant’s actions, Concordia University undertook significant changes to its human resources and security protocols to prevent similar tragedies.

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