Officers Not Likely Targets in MUHC Hospital Shooting: Montreal Police – Montreal | The Canadian News

Montreal Police (SPVM) say two officers involved in a shooting outside the McGill University Health Center last month were likely not the target.

The incident dates back to August 24 at around 1:30 a.m., when shots were heard on the hospital grounds. At the same moment, a female officer was injured in the arm after being grazed by a bullet as she and her partner exited the parking lot.

The shooting caused a temporary closure on several floors of the hospital.

In the first hours of the investigation, bullet holes and pellets were found at the scene, leading police to believe that officers may have been the target.

However, police said further investigation, which included a thorough analysis of the hospital grounds and surrounding areas, a look at camera footage to monitor the movement of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, as well as ballistic reports, shed new light on the incident.

“The shots were fired from a green space installed between Saint-Jacques and Pullman streets, south of the hospital,” the SPVM said in a press release on Tuesday.

“However, due to the terrain, it is unlikely that the attacker could have intentionally targeted the police officers in the parking lot.”

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Police now say the most likely scenario is that the bullet holes found in the facade of the hospital were due to stray bullets that were fired from inside the green space.

Police said the officer’s injuries can be explained by fragments that could have ricocheted.

The SPVM said the officer and her partner are fine despite the dangerous situation they and bystanders find themselves in.

The investigation is ongoing and police are asking anyone with information to call 911 or the anonymous and confidential Info-Crime line at 514-393-1133.