Civilian killed in Montreal shooting remembered as generous father with contagious smile
Posted June 23, 2026 1:58 pm.
Last Updated June 23, 2026 5:52 pm.
The 68-year-old civilian who died in the Montreal shooting Monday is being remembered as a father of three with a “heart of gold” whose generosity and smile were contagious.
Michel Moshe Mizrahi, a member of Beth Chabad synagogue in Côte-St-Luc for more than 30 years, was killed in the Côte-des-Neiges shooting that also saw a police officer lose his life, as well as the suspect.
“The community is in a deep, deep pain, very big shock, because he was loved by everyone,” said the synagogue’s rabbi, Mendel Raskin. “He was such a great person, had a heart of gold. He was always here to help other people.
“Huge heart. A great person. So today we all crying for the loss of such a man.”
Rabbi Raskin says Mizrahi reportedly made sure bystanders were safe while the shooting was taking place.
“I spoke to a woman this morning,” Raskin recounted. “She told me yesterday she was walking with her baby, and he went to her, he says, ‘they’re shooting, please run away.’
“He made sure that she understands that she has to run away. She told me, ‘if I’m alive today, it’s because of him.’
“He’s a hero. Yesterday was easy to run away, but he was making sure to save lives.”
Raskin says Mizrahi, who owned a suit business, spread joy wherever he went.
“We should learn from his smile,” the religious leader said. “A lot of people, you can save another person by smiling. Giving importance to another person. His smile was contagious. And people love to be around him. So if we can learn that from him, it’s going to help a lot to this world that need healing.”
Mizrahi was planning to meet his son for lunch when he was fatally shot.
“He was the best father, the best friend, just the best community person,” said Sarah Raskin, the co-director and founder of Beth Chabad. She said Mizrahi’s son described his father as his best friend.
“His smile is really a mirror of his big heart,” Sarah Raskin said.
“He always gave freely to all, so people would come buy a suit and they could not afford it. He did it in such a discreet manner so that they paid, thinking that they paid, but they really paid half.
An online fundraiser for Mizrahi’s family raised for than $105,000 in its first day.
