A six-year-old girl has died after police say she was stabbed in an apartment in Montreal’s east end early Thursday morning.
Montreal police spokesperson Raphael Bergeron confirmed it is the city’s 11th homicide of 2020.
Police were first alerted to the incident by a 911 call at around 3 a.m.
When police arrived at the apartment, located on Desautels Street in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, officers reportedly found the girl with what police spokesperson Caroline Chèvrefils described as “serious” stab wounds.
The girl was taken to hospital in critical condition. Her death was reported late Thursday morning.
A 36-year-old woman, confirmed to be the girl’s mother, was also found at the scene. According to Chèvrefils, she was taken to hospital as well with “minor” stab wounds.
Chèvrefils said once the woman’s condition permits, she will meet with investigators.
As of Tuesday afternoon, she was not considered a suspect by police, but an important witness.
The crime scene has been protected while investigators piece together exactly what happened. Desautels Street was closed to traffic between Hochelaga Street and Pierre-de Coubertin Avenue for much of the early morning.
— With files from Global News’ Tim Sargeant