Ontario Synagogue Shooting: Officer Wounded, 29-Year-Old Man Critically Injured

A police officer and a 29-year-old man have been wounded in an exchange of gunfire near a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, as members of the Jewish community gathered to observe Yom Kippur.

The shooting happened at about 7:10 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, near Bleecker Avenue and Victoria Avenue, close to the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in the eastern Ontario city.

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which investigates incidents involving police that result in serious injury or other circumstances within its mandate, said an officer encountered the man near the synagogue before gunfire was exchanged.

The SIU said the man suffered gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. The police officer was also wounded and was reported to be in critical but stable condition.

The incident occurred as worshippers were gathering for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The president of the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, Norman Weddum, said congregants were preparing to begin services when they heard gunfire.

According to reports, worshippers took cover inside the synagogue during the shooting. No one inside the building was reported injured, although reports and photographs showed bullet damage to the synagogue’s windows. Yom Kippur services were subsequently cancelled.

Authorities have not established what led to the confrontation or whether the synagogue or Jewish community was specifically targeted. Police said there was no continuing threat to the public and urged people to avoid the area while the investigation continued.

The SIU has assigned investigators and forensic personnel to the case. Investigators are appealing for anyone with information, including photographs or video of the incident, to come forward.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford condemned the shooting and said Jewish residents have the right to gather and worship safely. Toronto and York regional police also said they would increase visibility and patrols around synagogues and other places of worship as a precaution.

The shooting comes amid heightened concerns over security at Jewish institutions in Canada. Earlier this year, synagogues in the Toronto area were targeted by gunfire, although authorities have not said the Belleville incident is connected to those earlier attacks.

The investigation into Sunday’s shooting remains ongoing.