Belleville synagogue shooter Sean Ward dies in hospital; officer fundraiser hits $60K
Gunman Sean Ward, 29, died in hospital Monday after exchanging fire with police outside a Belleville synagogue during Yom Kippur. A GoFundMe for the injured officer has raised over $60,000.
Belleville synagogue gunman dies; Jewish community rallies for wounded officer
Sean Ward, 29, of Quinte West, Ont. — the lone suspect in Sunday night's shooting outside a Belleville synagogue — died in hospital on Monday night, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit confirmed.
"The 29-year-old man involved in an exchange of gunfire with police officers near a Belleville synagogue on Sunday died in hospital Monday night," the SIU said in a news release. A post-mortem examination is scheduled for Wednesday in Kingston, the unit added.
The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed separately that Ward had enlisted in July 2017 and was released in 2022. "He served as an infantry soldier with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and did not deploy during his service," the CAF said in a statement. The Forces said they remain ready to assist the investigation if required.
Officer confronted gunman during Yom Kippur service
The shooting unfolded outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue on Sunday night as congregants gathered to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Const. Jeff Smith of the Belleville Police Service engaged Ward in gunfire outside the building. A second officer also arrived and exchanged shots with Ward. The SIU told reporters Monday that between 20 and 30 bullets were fired in total.
Smith's condition has since stabilized and he is expected to recover, according to Toronto Sun Crime, which first reported details of the incident and its aftermath.
GoFundMe surpasses $60,000 in under two days
The Jewish community's response to the shooting has been swift. A GoFundMe campaign launched to support Smith and his family had raised just over $60,000 from 727 donations as of noon Tuesday — in less than two days — against a stated goal of $75,000.
Organizer Derek Kreindler, writing on behalf of Toronto's Jewish community, described the officer's actions in stark terms. "Const. Smith confronted an extraordinarily dangerous situation while protecting a Jewish congregation assembled on the holiest day of the Jewish year," Kreindler wrote on the campaign page.
"Inside the synagogue, worshippers heard the gunfire, took cover and sheltered together as bullets struck the building," he added.
Kreindler framed the fundraiser in religious terms as well. "In Judaism, pikuach nefesh, the preservation of human life, is among our highest obligations. Const. Smith fulfilled that obligation not through words, but through courage and action. When members of a vulnerable community needed protection, he put himself in harm's way."
Organizers said they are in contact with the Belleville Police Service to determine the best way to distribute the funds. According to Kreindler, a sergeant on duty as of 1:45 p.m. on September 21 offered to pass the information on to the leadership of Sons of Jacob Synagogue to help coordinate the disbursement.
"This fundraiser is also intended to send a clear message to Const. Smith and his fellow officers: the Jewish community remembers those who protect us," Kreindler wrote. "We will not forget what he did outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue."
Joint investigation under way
Both the Belleville Police Service and the SIU are jointly investigating the shooting. Belleville is located approximately two hours east of Toronto. The incident occurred against a broader backdrop of rising antisemitic incidents across Canada, which authorities and community groups have been tracking with growing concern.
The SIU, which investigates incidents involving police in Ontario that result in serious injury or death, has not yet released further details about the circumstances that led to the exchange of gunfire.
Source: Toronto Sun Crime