2006 Dawson College shooting

On September 13, 2006, Kimveer Singh Gill, a 25-year-old Laval, Quebec resident, opened fire at Dawson College, a CEGEP in downtown Montreal. Gill parked his car near the campus, was seen removing a semi-automatic carbine and bags from his trunk, and briefly took a passerby hostage to carry a bag of weapons before approaching the school. At approximately 12:42 p.m., he fired shots at students outside the college's de Maisonneuve Boulevard entrance before entering the building and moving toward the cafeteria and atrium area.

Inside the school, Gill, identified by police as the gunman, shot multiple students, including Anastasia De Sousa, who was later confirmed to have been shot nine times. He exchanged gunfire with police officers who had been at the college that day on an unrelated matter, taking additional hostages during the standoff and firing at officers who attempted to approach him. During the incident, Gill asked hostages whether De Sousa had died and, upon being told they did not know, fired additional shots into her, stating "Now she's dead!"

At 1:01 p.m., Officer Denis Côté fired at Gill from an upper floor, striking him in the right elbow. Gill then shot himself with a handgun and died at the scene. Police were unable to resuscitate him. An autopsy and a short suicide note found on his body led authorities to conclude the attack had been premeditated. In total, Gill fired his rifle 72 times and his pistol six times.

De Sousa, an 18-year-old woman shot in the abdomen, died at the scene and was the only fatality. Nineteen other people were wounded, eight of them listed in critical condition and six requiring surgery. One victim, who had been visiting friends at the college, was shot twice in the head, underwent surgery, and spent a week in a coma before recovering.

The attack prompted a large emergency response, including evacuation of nearby shopping centres and a temporary shutdown of part of the Montreal Metro's green line. Students were sheltered at nearby Concordia University. A later study by the McGill University Health Centre Research Institute found that 30% of Dawson students present during the shooting experienced mental health consequences such as PTSD, depression, alcohol dependence, or social phobia.

Investigators determined Gill acted alone, despite initial reports of up to three suspects. A search of his home turned up an apology note to his family, firearm accessories, and material referencing the Columbine High School shooters. The case drew national political reaction, including comments from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other federal and provincial leaders, and led to public controversy over a Globe and Mail column by journalist Jan Wong linking the ethnic backgrounds of Quebec's three school-shooting perpetrators to alienation from Quebec society, which was condemned by Quebec and federal officials, including a House of Commons motion requesting an apology.