A Montreal police officer and a civilian were killed in a shooting yesterday afternoon during which another officer and civilian were also injured, and the suspect was "neutralized." We'll have more on that below, as well as a deeper dive into the data on officers killed in the line of duty and a look at all the federal byelections that will be happening because of MPs resigning.

Are more police officers getting killed in the line of duty? Here's what data tells us

Yesterday's shooting in Montreal marked the third time an officer in Canada was killed in less than two weeks, raising questions about whether violence against officers is increasing. It also came one day after two RCMP officers responding to a call for help in Melville, Sask., were shot and injured.

What's happening: So far in 2026, four officers have died in the line of duty, three of them in attacks. There were no on-duty police deaths across Canada in 2024 and 2025 — an anomaly in the 64 years of data collected by one researcher who spoke with The National. In 2023, eight officers died on duty, six of them as a result of intentional violence. But researchers who track police deaths say the number of officers killed on duty this year remains within the historical range — and killings are less common now than in past decades.

Why it matters: While every police shooting has unique circumstances, changing attitudes about law enforcement over the last two decades has likely had "a trickle-down effect," according to Greg Brown, a former Ottawa police officer now working as an adjunct professor at Carleton University. He also mentioned challenges in recruiting new members, as well as the proliferation of illegal firearms. Experts contacted by CBC News say it is likely too early to draw conclusions about the violence in Montreal and other Canadian cities.

The byelection clock is ticking as MPs officially resign. How does it impact the Liberals' majority?

The countdown for half a dozen byelections is on as MPs who have signalled they won't be returning to Ottawa in the fall begin to vacate their seats.

What's happening: Two MPs — Liberal Jonathan Wilkinson and the Bloc Québécois' Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay — officially resigned on Friday. Former Liberal cabinet ministers Steven Guilbeault and Nathaniel Erskine-Smith have also said they will step down, though neither has given a specific date. Independent (formerly NDP) MP Alexandre Boulerice is tossing his hat in the provincial ring, while Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall indicated she will make her resignation official on Aug. 31.

Why it matters:  Elections Canada was notified of the two current vacancies yesterday, meaning Prime Minister Mark Carney has until Dec. 19 to call byelections for those ridings. The Liberals may try to avoid overlapping campaigns with the Quebec provincial election — on Oct. 5, unless it's called earlier, which points to potential voting days sometime in November or December. In the meantime, Carney's Liberals will maintain a thin majority when September rolls around, even after losing three MPs. The only way the Liberals could slip back into minority territory is if they lose all six byelections, so they will need to win at least one race to maintain a technical majority in the House — where they would need to rely on the Speaker to break ties.