Belleville synagogue shooting called antisemitic attack; wounded officer hailed as hero

Ontario's Solicitor General called Sunday's Yom Kippur shooting at a Belleville synagogue a planned antisemitic attack. Const. Jeff Smith remains in critical condition after stopping suspect Sean Ward.

Belleville synagogue attack on Yom Kippur ruled antisemitic and planned, says Ontario's top cop

Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner on Monday called Sunday night's shooting at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville a deliberate antisemitic act, ruling out earlier speculation that the gunman may have targeted a police officer who happened to be present. Toronto Sun Crime reports that Kerzner spoke at the scene and was unequivocal: "This was a massacre in the making. This was an antisemitic attack. It was planned."

The shooting took place during Yom Kippur, one of the holiest nights in the Jewish calendar. The Special Investigations Unit is overseeing the scene, where investigators have counted up to 30 gunshots fired.

Officer in critical condition called a legend

Const. Jeff Smith, who was struck by gunfire in the face and upper body, remains in critical condition but has already become a central figure in accounts of the night. Sons of Jacob Synagogue congregation president Norm Weddum described him without hesitation: "He is a hero. And so is the responding officer."

Smith was shot but continued to engage the suspect, Sean Ward, preventing him from entering the synagogue. Both officers fired shots at Ward, who later died of his injuries in hospital on Monday night.

Mike Devolin, who was performing security duties for his congregation at the time, said the officers' intervention was the only thing that stood between the congregation and a mass casualty event. "I am quite sure the shooter would have come inside and killed us all," he said. "We would have been in trouble without them."

Comparison to Bondi Beach attack

Kerzner and others at the scene drew comparisons to other high-profile attacks. The Solicitor General referenced a Hanukkah attack in Australia, saying the Belleville incident came alarmingly close to a similar outcome.

Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs CEO Noah Shack put it in direct terms, saying Ontario had come "one misstep away from a Bondi Beach-style attack." Kerzner agreed, adding: "It didn't happen through divine intervention that we have the officer here."

Suspect identified as former Canadian Armed Forces member

Ward, whose silvery-gold pickup truck with Alberta licence plates remained parked on the sidewalk across from the synagogue, has been identified by police and confirmed by the Canadian Armed Forces as a former CAF member. He joined the military in July 2017 and was released in 2022.

Neighbours at what police have identified as Ward's home in Quinte West, between Trenton and Belleville, described him as outwardly unremarkable. He was often seen in the yard, was considered friendly, and lived with his mother, whom neighbours described as a kind woman who occasionally dropped off vegetables. A bass boat sat unused in the driveway this summer, according to one neighbour who said he had last seen Ward use it the previous summer.

The property is a bungalow on a large lot with a swimming pool in the backyard.

Police focus on truck and ongoing investigation

Police have not commented publicly on the direction of the investigation. However, Weddum said he has been told that investigators are placing significant focus on Ward's truck, still parked near the synagogue.

The motive, beyond Kerzner's characterization of the act as antisemitic, has not been fully detailed by authorities. The SIU, which investigates incidents involving police and civilian injury or death, continues to process the scene.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime