A man opened fire overnight Sunday into Monday, Israel time, at Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville, Canada. He is suspected of firing at least 23 rounds through the synagogue’s windows, and worshippers were evacuated from the building.
The shooting occurred during Yom Kippur prayers in the province of Ontario. Worshippers who were inside the synagogue said 23 bullet holes were found in the windows after the incident.
A police officer who responded to the scene was wounded in the shooting. Local police said his condition was critical but stable and that he was expected to recover. The suspect, a 29-year-old man, was shot by the officer. Police said the suspect was in life-threatening condition.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit opened an investigation.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford condemned the incident, saying he was “disgusted by the shooting that took place outside the synagogue as members of the Jewish community gathered to mark Yom Kippur.”
“The Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario has every right to gather and worship safely and without fear,” Ford said.
At least 23 bullets struck the windows
Several hours before the shooting, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued an official statement for Yom Kippur in which he pledged to act against rising antisemitism.
Carney said Jewish Canadians have been facing intimidation, harassment and violence because of their Jewish identity, calling the situation unacceptable and stressing that confronting antisemitism is a shared responsibility. He said every Jewish Canadian should be able to practice their faith openly and take part in public life without fear, adding that the country’s Jewish community would not face antisemitism alone.
He ended the statement with the traditional Hebrew Yom Kippur greeting “Gmar chatima tova” and pledged to advance new legislation aimed at addressing the issue.
As Yom Kippur drew to a close, Carney said the shooting had taken place on the holiest night of the Jewish calendar and stressed that Jews must be able to worship safely and live openly, freely and proudly as Jews.