Montreal shooting suspect identified as 25-year-old from Alberta

A 104-page document purportedly linked to the shooter has been circulating on social media in the aftermath of the attack.

Stephanie Carvin, a professor studying extremism at Carleton University in Ottawa and who has read its contents, described it as an anti-capitalist document that predominantly peddles “violent misogyny”.

“It’s an incel critique of capitalism,” Carvin told the BBC. She added that it features a combination of ideas that are both far-left and far-right to justify its views – a type of “salad bar extremism”.

The document also criticises pornography throughout. Local newspaper La Presse reported that the suspect was positioned directly across from the offices of the Montreal-based company that owns Pornhub, though the company said in a statement it “will not speculate on motive”.

After the attack, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police sent an alert to other police forces in Canada, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported.

The bulletin is said to have warned about a document that had been circulating which allegedly encouraged citizens to shoot police officers.

Carvin said it remains unclear why the alleged suspect chose Montreal for the attack. “It will almost certainly be a significant part of the investigation,” she said.

At Tuesday’s news conference, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada called for better gun control and for attention to be paid to the role of social media.

She did not comment directly on the document but described the reported contents as unacceptable. “I think there needs to be a way to ensure that women feel protected,” she added.