A 26-year-old man was killed after being shot by police in a parking lot at a hotel in the Saint-Laurent neighborhood of Montreal on Thursday morning.

According to Manuel Couture, spokesperson for the Montreal Police Service (SPVM), the deceased is considered a "suspect in a murder." Since the shooting involves police officers, the Bureau of Independent Investigations of Quebec (BEI) has taken over the case.

According to the bureau, a tactical team with the Montreal Police was conducting a search in the motel at 7 a.m. as part of an investigation related to three murders in Montreal and Laval.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers encountered a "man holding a firearm."

"Shots were fired at the armed man," according to the international bureau's statement.

The 26-year-old man was then declared dead at the scene. Seven investigators from the bureau were assigned to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, with the assistance of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, spokeswoman for the SQ, says police are still working to determine the motive for the killing.

She pointed out that there is no indication that the suspect, who suffered from "mental health issues," knew the three victims.

Officers do not believe he had any accomplices. Interim Montreal Police Chief Sophie Roy adds that the force worked "day and night" to find the suspect after the first shooting on Tuesday night.

"We will continue to work hard to combat gun violence," she said, offering condolences to the victims' families. However, those living in the area say the incident made them think twice about how safe their neighborhood really is.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante took to Twitter to thank the various police forces involved in the Thursday morning operation.

She wrote: "During these moments, we must all work together and trust our authorities in a common goal to ensure the safety of our residents."