Belleville synagogue shooting: Ward's antisemitic words caught on video during gunfight

Sean Ward screamed antisemitic slurs at police as he opened fire outside Sons of Jacob synagogue on Yom Kippur. About 25 worshippers inside escaped unharmed.

"You are going to die for the Jews": Ward's words during Belleville synagogue attack

Sean Ward, the gunman who opened fire outside Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville on Sunday evening, could be heard screaming "You are going to die for the Jews" repeatedly at two police officers as bullets flew across an otherwise quiet residential street, Toronto Sun Crime reports.

The words were captured in a seconds-long video shown at a press conference Thursday by Belleville Police Chief Murray Rodd. The footage shows Ward and Constables Jeff Smith and Mark McCurdy exchanging gunfire around 7 p.m., with both sides ducking behind vehicles for cover. Gasps from the person filming were audible beneath the sound of rapid gunfire.

"Make no mistake; this was a targeted attack against the Jewish community," Rodd said at the press conference.

25 worshippers inside on Yom Kippur

At the time of the attack, approximately 25 people were gathered inside the synagogue for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. None were injured.

Rodd credited the actions of Smith and McCurdy with preventing a mass casualty event. Ward arrived at the synagogue carrying additional weapons and a significant quantity of ammunition.

"The suspect had the means, the motive, and the mechanisms to cause a mass casualty, and the destruction of the Jewish synagogue," Rodd said. "The loss of life and the irreversible damage that could have been rippled through our community for generations cannot be overstated."

Shooter died days after the attack

Ward, 29, was wounded during the exchange of gunfire and died a couple of days later at Kingston hospital. He had been a Corporal with the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, and had been involuntarily discharged from the military and deemed "unsuitable for further service," according to the National Post.

Ward was one of 128 current and former Canadian Armed Forces members named as plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against the federal government over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. He was plaintiff number 110 on the list.

The lawsuit, filed September 27, 2023, with the Federal Court in Edmonton and later sealed by the court, states that Ward refused vaccination "on religious grounds" and that his exemption claim was denied by military officials. He was seeking $1,500,000 in general damages, plus $140,000 for financial losses.

The plaintiffs collectively allege the mandate "coerced vaccination under threat of career-ending sanctions, bypassing statutory processes and infringing fundamental rights." They seek $1 million each for negligence, Charter breaches and misuse of authority, and $500,000 each for bad faith conduct, along with individualized damages for income loss, pension loss and medical expenses. An updated claim was filed February 25, 2026.

Officer still recovering; GoFundMe surpasses $660,000

In his Thursday update, Rodd said Constable Smith is continuing to recover from his injuries. "He still has a long road to recovery. He has everything extending from fractures to wounds and is still bearing shrapnel," Rodd said. Constable McCurdy was not struck by gunfire.

Earlier this week, the Canadian Jewish Community launched a GoFundMe page in tribute to the two officers. Organized by Derek Kreindler, the campaign had raised $660,172 of its $700,000 goal as of Friday morning, with more than six thousand individual donations recorded.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime