‘He was murdered saving people,’ says mother of Montreal man killed in Hamas attack on Israel

A Montreal man's family says their son was one of the victims of the surprise attack launched by Hamas against Israel over the weekend.

Alexandre Look, 33, was among thousands in attendance at an outdoor techno music festival near the Gaza-Israel border on Saturday when it was attacked by Hamas gunmen, his father confirmed to CBC News. About 260 bodies were removed from the festival following the ambush.

Look's father said he died trying to protect others.

"Alex was a force of nature, endowed with a unique charisma and unparalleled generosity," Alain Haim Look wrote in a Facebook post announcing his son's death Saturday, accompanied by several photos of the two together.

"Like a true warrior, he died like a hero, wanting to protect the people he was with."

Devorah Shanowitz, program director and educator at the Chabad of Westmount, said there's "a tremendous sense of shock and a deep sense of grieving" in the Jewish organization, which Look's parents are a part of.

"They're wonderful people, they're kind, generous, positive," she said in a phone interview with CBC News.

"I think what made this all the more shocking is that you just wouldn't expect that something would happen like that when a kid is out just travelling, going to a concert … he was just a normal young man trying to enjoy a slice of life in a very normal way."

The Chabad has created a fundraiser for the Look family as well as a campaign to spread acts of kindness in honour of the victim.

"We're encouraging our community to bring light into this world, to fight with light," Shanowitz said.

Global Affairs Canada has not confirmed Look's death, but said Sunday it is working to confirm reports of a Canadian who died and two others who are missing following the attacks.