A former Canadian soldier died Monday night after opening fire outside an Ontario synagogue during Yom Kippur services, leaving a police officer in critical condition.
Sean Ward, 29, pulled up in his truck and began shooting at two officers stationed outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, around 7 p.m. Sunday, according to CBC. Constable Jeff Smith, who was working security alongside another officer, was struck before both cops returned fire and hit Ward.
Smith remained in critical but stable condition as of Tuesday, authorities said. Ward, who joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2017 and left in 2022 as a corporal, succumbed to his injuries the following night.
The timing of the assault on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, has led investigators to examine whether antisemitism motivated the attack. None of the roughly two dozen congregants inside were injured, though bullets peppered surrounding homes, vehicles and the synagogue’s windows.
“There are dozens of bullet holes in the street behind me and some homes have been hit and there are some vehicles with shot out windows, that sort of thing. So it would have been quite the scene,” Belleville Deputy Police Chief Sheri Meeks said.
Worshipers immediately recognized the danger and scrambled for cover during the exchange of about 25 shots, which lasted mere moments.
“I could say, ‘Oh, this is definitely … someone is shooting here,'” Norm Weddum, the leader of Sons of Jacob, who was attending the service, told CBC. “So that’s when we ran back into the auditorium of the synagogue, closed the doors behind us so as to not leave a visible target and we hit the floor.”
“Literally everyone went down. I yelled for everyone to get on to the floor and the shots continued for a few more seconds, and then it was basically over,” he continued.
Weddum noted that Sons of Jacob always requests extra security on Jewish High Holidays due to threat concerns.
“Thank God that person was there,” he said, referring to Smith.
Kristy Denette, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, outlined the sequence of events to reporters.
“It’s believed that [Ward] came in a truck and he had a shotgun and he discharged his firearm at a police officer and then that police officer returned fire and then there was a second officer who arrived and then also discharged [their] firearm,” she said.
Meeks addressed the community with a forceful statement against hate.
“Let me be very clear: Antisemitism, hate and violence have no place in our community,” she said. “Every person deserves to feel safe when attending a place of worship, gathering with loved ones, or participating in community life.”
She also announced a heightened police presence across Belleville following the incident.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis all condemned the attack. Authorities continue probing a definitive motive for the shooting.
