ZAKA International Spokesperson’s Office officially confirmed on Monday night the death of Rabbi Michael Moshe Mizrahi, who was struck by accidental gunfire during a shooting attack apparently targeting police officers in the Côte-des-Neiges borough of Montreal, Canada.
The organization's official statement read: "In the afternoon hours (Israel time), a report was received by the ZAKA International Division hotline regarding a shooting incident in Montreal, Canada. Immediately upon receiving the report, ZAKA International Division volunteers living in the area arrived at the scene. Together with the local community, they monitored the situation in real time. At the scene, a member of the security forces was pronounced dead, and several wounded individuals were evacuated to hospitals-among them Michael Mizrahi, who was in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital."
Following official confirmation of Mizrazhi's death, ZAKA's International Division began coordinating with local authorities. Acting on the request of his family in Israel, the organization is working to secure the release of his body and arrange for his repatriation and burial in Israel.
Yossi Landau, ZAKA Lachish Region Operations Commander, stated, "In the initial hours following the incident, I was contacted by family members in Israel who requested our assistance in ascertaining the father's condition. We spent many long hours working with various agencies in an attempt to obtain definitive information. Tragically, once official confirmation of his death was received, we immediately shifted to assisting the family with the necessary procedures. We are now working with local authorities to release his body and repatriate him for burial in Israel, as the family requested."
Moishy Blech, a volunteer with ZAKA's International Division and a Montreal resident who was at the scene, recounted, "Those were long hours of uncertainty. I was alongside the deceased's son at the scene, liaising with various officials to determine his father's fate. Only after an extended period did we receive official confirmation that he had been killed at the scene. We are now supporting the family. Once forensics teams conclude their work at the scene, ZAKA International Division volunteers will enter the area to collect the remains and ensure the deceased is treated with the utmost dignity in accordance with Jewish law."
Local media initially reported that Mizrahi was killed at the scene, citing testimonies from first responders. According to those reports, the information was also based on a statement by the local police commander, who noted that a police officer and a civilian were killed in the incident, alongside one of the shooters who was neutralized.
Several hours later, conflicting information emerged indicating that Mizrahi had not been killed at the scene, but had instead been evacuated to the hospital in serious condition.
"We all hope that this latest information is indeed correct, and that we will soon be able to share good news regarding the condition of Moshe Michael ben Miriam," Chabad stated at the time.
A police officer was killed in the shooting and another officer was wounded.
The incident began around 11:30 a.m. local time in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges. Following the shooting, authorities issued an extraordinary emergency alert to residents of the area, instructing them to stay indoors, lock doors, and stay away from windows.
Videos from the scene showed security forces storming a supermarket with weapons drawn.
Footage from the scene shows a policeman who was apparently hit by a bullet lying with a gun in his hand and a citizen trying to help him, and not far from them was another man dressed in a military uniform, who was seen lying motionless. The man in military uniform was apparently the shooter, who was eliminated.
Chabad spokesperson Rabbi Motti Seligson told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the shooting does not appear to have been targeted at the Jewish community.