A police officer was injured during a shooting at the Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, while practitioners were in the temple celebrating Yom Kippur as part of the High Holy Days for the Jewish community.
Belleville Police Service announced that around 7:10 pm on Sunday, police “encountered an individual” at the synagogue on Bleeker Avenue and Victoria Avenue, where an over 20-bullet firefight broke out.
The individual, as well as an officer who was stationed at the synagogue for heightened security due to prior attacks against the Jewish community across the province, were injured and taken to hospital.
The Special Investigations Unit released a statement Sunday night noting that the alleged attacker was in “life-threatening condition.”
Some footage from the area during the shooting was shared online, with members of the public left confused about what was going on in their neighbourhood.
The synagogue was in service at the time, and images of the windows show several bullet holes that were left in the glass.
Belleville Police were not immediately available to provide additional information.
Prime Minister Mark Carney noted that Yom Kippur is the holiest night of the Jewish calendar and condemned the shooting.
“A police officer was shot, and the community has been left shaken,” Carney said in a statement released on social media. “Jewish people must be able to worship safely. To live free, open, proud Jewish lives.”
He said the Canadian government will do “everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also commented, noting the targeted timing of the shooting on Yom Kippur.
“On the holiest day of the Jewish year, a police officer was injured, a man suffered life-threatening injuries, and worshippers at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville were forced to take cover as gunfire erupted outside,” Poilievre said.
“This vile antisemitic violence in Canada must end, and this Liberal government must act now to protect our people.”
Poilievre called for action from the federal government to allow Jewish Canadians to feel safe in their communities and be able to worship freely in Canada without fear of being shot at or attacked.
Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford said he was “disgusted” by the shooting and said he “expects” all responsible for the shooting to be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“My thoughts are also with the police officer who was shot, along with their family and loved ones. We owe an immense debt of gratitude to this brave officer and to all the first responders who acted so quickly to keep the community safe,” he said.
Various Ontario police departments, as well as Toronto’s mayor and other politicians, have unanimously come out condemning the attack and expressing condolences to the Jewish community.
Since October 7, several synagogues in Ontario, mostly in Toronto, have been targets of shootings, prompting police departments across the province to ramp up security and increase police presence, especially during holy days for the Jewish community.
"He said the Canadian government will do 'everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.'" Well, everything except actually keep violent criminals behind bars, deport terrorists and thugs and actually vet people we let into the country. Aside from that, though, they are doing everything.