Montreal shooting witness says he saw two people in camouflage

Joining us now, Yosef Haddad.His family owns the deli right beside where the shooting happened.Yosef, thank you for being with us.I can only imagine what sort of day this has been for you.How are you feeling right now?

Thank God.A bit better right now than before.Thank God.

Take me to the beginning, if you will.When did you realize something awry was happening?

So basically, I was in a Downstairs in the restaurant at the deli as usual every day we come we open it me and my brothers and We opened it as usual 1130.We open I going outside the deli I live right in front So I went outside to get something from my house, and then I hear just shooting and I see two guys with military uniforms running and And I didn't know what's going on.I thought it was Canadian military.I didn't really know what's going on.So I just ran to my house.And I went to see from the balcony.

And the shooting was continuing to go.And I saw the balcony.I saw one of the cops that died.I saw him literally fall down in front of us.And we heard bullets flying with the whistling of bullets flying from the balcony.It was something that's very traumatic that we hope nobody in the world should pass something like this.

I want to take you back to one of the first things you just said there, Josef.You said two people in military outfits.Those were police officers or those, you believe, were the potential suspects here?We... the police...I didn't even...Go ahead.

Yeah, I didn't know who it was.I saw them, and they were running.So, you know, you don't think you would see someone in military clothes starting shooting civilians.I thought it was the police or the military or SWAT team.I didn't know who it was.But after we got a photo on the group, the building group, that one of the people, one of the shooters that they shot him, he was wearing the military clothes, the same outfits I saw them with.

Did you watch the video?exchange of gunfire between the suspect and the police?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm sorry, that's something that you had to see.Something you can't unsee.And hopefully something you never want to see outside your place of residence.No, never.Yes.

This is my house.This is our community here.My business is here.Our family business is here.There's kids in the park.There's schools all over the place.

We just started to open, so we had like five or six customers, usual customers, to get their lunch.And they got stuck at the deli for like five hours.They were there.It was really a... a situation where nobody would like to even remember it.

You were inside the deli yourself with six of those customers while you were in lockdown?

No, so I was not.My mom was there.I went to my house to get something.Right when I went out of the deli, the shooting started happening.

And what could you see from where you were positioned inside your house?I understand that's right above the deli or next door?

Right.So it's right in front of the deli.So I can show you.I'm right in my house.I'll show you.It's just the balcony where we can see.

We see already that that they have taken out all the um there's people back on the streets police are starting to leave the the place i think they call they're starting to leave there was the shooting uh where the broadway pizza is and uh the hotel it was outside yes it was outside it was right here so i was looking i was there the shooting started that's the deli i ran to my building that is right here in front and then i would look out the balcony right there in the corner was the whole the whole thing that started shooting the people running.

Is that a playground right in front?

Yes, this is a playground.So every day a lot of students come here to sit down to study on the benches.A lot of kids come here from the daycares.There's a daycare in this building, there's a few daycares around.This place is very populated with people.kids, playing in the park.

And then suddenly these things happen, God forbid.It's very, very, very scary.And we don't know what's going to be the continuation here.We're very scared.We don't know.

Yosef, we know very little about the three people who lost their lives at this point.We understand one civilian was among the casualties.Do you know anything about that person?

Yeah, so one civilian that I know, he was shot.He's a very good customer of ours, and he was shot.We don't know what's going on with him.We heard he's in the hospital.Hopefully, prayers, God's going to help him to be well as soon as possible.

We understand one person suffered minor injuries in addition to that.Do you have any details on that person?

I didn't hear that.We're always on the group.We're always on alert.We're always seeing what's going on, you know, because the son of one of the guys that got shot, one of the siblings that got shot, he lives here.So I talked to him, and he told me that his father's in surgery, and they're going to let us know what's going on.And that's all I know.

So everybody in your building is on a group chat of some sort, like a text or a WhatsApp chat.That's what you're referring to.

Yeah.

And from their perspectives, what were they witnessing throughout this chain of events?

Well, I hope none of them witnessed what I witnessed.That's what I hope.Me too.But, you know, everybody has different balconies facing here, facing here.There's people that are right in front of the shooting and saw everything from literally, not even, you know, just look down, you see it in front of you.People have lived there in front.

I live a bit further, but you still can see everything from here, from there.A lot of people have seen this tragedy.

It was 11 .35 in the morning when police say they received that 911 call.shots were fired.So were shots fired before police arrived or from your perspective was there only an exchange of gunfire once police arrived on the scene?

Well I heard some big booms, one or two, and I was like I thought there's a lot of construction sites around us so I thought it was like something from there.But when I went outside, I saw what's going on.I saw two guys running with guns, dressed as soldiers, towards the pizza area there and towards the hotel in their hotel area.And so that's when I understood that it's not construction.There's something, something going on here.So I ran to the hotel.

And you're saying two people, while police were very clear that there was only one suspect, so perhaps more details will come to light as this investigation unfolds, such as always the case.When you're saying they're wearing military uniform, we're talking about sort of green and brown camo, or we're seeing images of police officers, by contrast they're wearing that very dark color.What did this person look like, who you were describing?

I'm born and raised here in Canada, so I know what police officers and how the military uniforms are.There wasn't Canadian military uniforms.It was camel uniforms.I'm not sure from where, what, how, but I saw two people.I didn't see anything else.I saw two.

I heard there was three.I heard one died.There was a lot of rumors that went around.

And more rumors likely will circulate until we receive official word from police.This will be an investigation that will take days, weeks, potentially months, and even longer to unfold.And Yosef, I'm sorry you had to witness what you did today.That's something that is horrific, and you wish upon no one.I appreciate you taking the time to being with us today, and I hope you have the time to spend with your family to offer togetherness, which is most important at a time like this.

Thank you.And God bless everybody, and God keep everybody safe.and to delete the evil from the world.It says that a human is a light.We have to light the darkness around us.So God willing that we will see more light than evil.

More light than darkness.It's a beautiful message to end this interview on.Thank you.That's Yosef Haddad.Thank you.Who owns the deli just outside where the shooting happened in Montreal today.

Thank you, Yosef.

Thank you.Have a nice day.Same to you.