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MONTRÉAL — A deadly shooting unfolded Monday outside the Montréal headquarters of Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, leaving three people dead, including a Jewish Canadian-Israeli civilian, a police officer and the gunman. Authorities have not yet determined whether Aylo was the intended target of the attack.
Police identified the shooter as 25-year-old Seth Scott Hatfield. Witnesses and local reports said Hatfield appeared near Aylo’s offices in the Côte-des-Neiges borough wearing camouflage clothing and carrying what appeared to be a long gun. Reports also indicated that windows of the building housing Aylo’s Montréal headquarters were struck by gunfire.
Video of the exchange was captured and widely shared on social media. During the incident, bystander Michael Moshe Mizrahi was killed, a death later confirmed by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Israeli consulate in Montréal. The city’s police force, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), confirmed that the fallen officer was Constable Mohamed Lamine Benredouane.
Benredouane’s death marks the first on-duty fatality suffered by the SPVM in approximately 24 years, according to police chief Fady Dagher.
“I can tell you he was excellent — he was an excellent police officer,” Dagher said during a press conference Monday. “When you become a police officer, you know the risks. But you never expect something like this to happen.”
A second officer was injured during the confrontation with Hatfield. Local reports indicated the officer was transported to a nearby hospital and was listed in stable condition.
Hatfield was killed during the police response. Following the attack, a 104-page manifesto attributed to the Alberta man surfaced publicly, offering insight into what investigators believe may have influenced his actions.
Throughout the document, Hatfield outlines a mix of political views that blend elements from both the left and the right while also expressing antisemitic, anti-pornography and misogynistic beliefs. Although he never explicitly identifies with the term “incel,” or involuntary celibate, several of his arguments closely resemble themes commonly associated with that movement and with prior acts of misogynistic violence.
One of the most notable examples occurred during a 2018 attack in Toronto that investigators linked to incel ideology. According to the McCain Institute, a Washington-based organization affiliated with Arizona State University, the movement itself traces its origins back to Canada.
“While incel violence is a relatively new phenomenon, the label of ‘incel’ has been around since the 1990s, when a Canadian college student created a website titled the ‘Involuntary Celibacy Project’ to help those struggling with dating and intimate relations with others,” states a McCain Institute briefing published in October 2021. The briefing describes incels as an extreme and reactionary segment of the broader online “manosphere.”
Hatfield’s manifesto also focuses heavily on Jews and what he describes as “Zionist” corporations. In the document, he attempts to connect Jews and capitalism to social conditions affecting men, particularly those he claims have been deprived of romantic relationships.
The document further calls for attacks on what Hatfield described as “valid potential Class A targets.” Among the examples he listed were major pornography industry conferences, the headquarters of international adult entertainment companies and wealthy adult performers whom he accused of promoting pornography. References to pornography appear dozens of times throughout the manifesto.
“I call on all of you now, and I ask you to join me,” Hatfield wrote. “Let us be the initiators of a new bloodletting, one in which the blood will flood out from the lacerated bodies of our opponents; all those culpable people, be they bourgeois or lumpen, who hitherto have remained unpunished. … Be unflinching, go forth, and KILL THEM ALL!”
The manifesto also reflects longstanding antisemitic conspiracy theories claiming that a small group of Jewish individuals secretly controls the adult entertainment industry, including Pornhub. Similar claims circulated in some right-wing circles after attorney and rabbi Solomon Friedman became part of the leadership group overseeing Aylo following its acquisition and rebranding from MindGeek.
A spokesperson for Aylo’s ownership company, Ottawa-based Ethical Capital Partners, declined to comment on details of the incident, citing the active police investigation. The spokesperson did confirm that company personnel were safe.
A representative for Aylo also declined to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the attack but expressed appreciation for the police response and concern for those affected.
“We want to express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane and Michael Moshe Mizrahi, as well as the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) and everyone affected by this horrific tragedy,” the spokesperson said. “The safety of our community is our highest priority, whether that be our dedicated employees, our online community, or the city of Montreal, which a large part of our team proudly calls home. Though our city was struck by tragedy, we want to express gratitude to the first responders who bravely protected us and ensured that none of our employees were physically harmed by yesterday’s events.”
Investigators have not yet determined whether Aylo’s offices or employees were specifically targeted. The company said it would defer to law enforcement as the investigation continues. “The investigation remains ongoing, and we will not speculate on motive or share unconfirmed information,” the spokesperson added.
The adult industry trade association Free Speech Coalition also issued a statement expressing concern over the attack. Executive Director Alison Boden said, “We’re shocked and outraged by the attack, and mourn those killed, even as we are grateful that members of our community are safe.
“Our hearts and support go out to our friends and colleagues at Aylo,” Boden added. “Unfortunately, calls for violence against our community are not new. They have been fueled by rhetoric that treats sex work and sexual expression as a societal threat. We call on the media to call this what it is and condemn the twisted arguments behind it.
“In the meantime, in the face of fear, we reaffirm our commitment to fighting censorship and repression,” she concluded.
