Quebec’s coroner has identified 25-year-old Seth Scott Hatfield of Lethbridge, Alberta, as the gunman who killed a Montreal police officer and a bystander during a shooting in the Côte-des-Neiges district on Monday. The attack resulted in the deaths of officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, and 68-year-old bystander Michel Mizrahi, while a second officer was wounded. Hatfield died during the confrontation with police.
What is known about the suspect?
Seth Scott Hatfield was a former student at the University of Lethbridge, where he studied philosophy and achieved placement on the Dean’s Honour List in the winter 2026 semester, according to the university. Records indicate he graduated from Catholic Central High School in 2019. Following the incident, a 104-page document attributed to Hatfield surfaced, containing rhetoric linked to the “incel” movement. The text explicitly blames feminism, liberalism, and capitalism for male grievances and lists various institutions and professional groups as potential targets for violence.
Did You Know? Before the shooting in Montreal, Seth Scott Hatfield was a high-achieving student at the University of Lethbridge, having earned a spot on the Dean’s Honour List for maintaining a grade-point average of at least 3.75 during the winter 2026 term.
What is the current status of the investigation?
Authorities are currently conducting parallel investigations into the shooting. In Alberta, the Lethbridge Police Service executed a high-risk search at a residence on Lemoyne Crescent on Tuesday, leading to the evacuation of neighbouring homes. In Quebec, the provincial police watchdog is investigating the circumstances of the shooting, while the Sûreté du Québec has initiated a criminal investigation. Police have not yet publicly confirmed if the 104-page document recovered after the attack played a direct role in the Monday morning incident.
What are the potential next steps?
Investigators are likely to continue analyzing the digital trail left by Hatfield to determine if he acted alone or had any accomplices. Given that Hatfield resided in Alberta, the ongoing cooperation between the Lethbridge Police Service and Quebec authorities is expected to focus on reconstructing his recent activities and movements leading up to his arrival in Montreal. The police watchdog’s report will eventually clarify the specific sequence of events during the final confrontation, which remains a focal point for both public transparency and criminal accountability.
Expert Insight: The discovery of a detailed manifesto naming specific professional and institutional targets creates a significant challenge for investigators. While the document outlines a clear ideological motivation, the primary task for law enforcement is now to establish a forensic link between these written threats and the physical execution of the attack. This process is essential for determining if this was a planned act of ideological violence or an escalation of personal grievances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the victims of the shooting?
The victims were Montreal police officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, and bystander Michel (Michael) Mizrahi, 68.
What was the nature of the document attributed to the gunman?
The 104-page document contains rhetoric associated with the “incel” movement, blaming feminism, liberalism, and capitalism for male suffering while identifying dozens of potential targets for political violence.
Are authorities in Alberta involved in the case?
Yes, the Lethbridge Police Service is assisting Quebec authorities and executed a high-risk search at a residence in Lethbridge on Tuesday as part of the investigation.
How should institutions balance the need for public safety with the monitoring of extremist ideologies?
