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A gunman shot and seriously wounded a police officer deployed outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, on Sunday evening during Yom Kippur services, in the latest incident in a wave of antisemitic violence that has swept across Canada in recent years.
Around 20-30 shots were exchanged, and the attacker — identified as 29-year-old Sean Ward from nearby Quinte West — was critically wounded in return fire from police and taken into custody. Ward was armed with a shotgun.
Both Ward and the wounded officer, Constable Jeff Smith, remained hospitalized on Monday.
(9/22 update: Ward died of his wounds on Monday night, an Ontario official announced on Tuesday.)
Police were investigating the shooting, which took place in front of Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, located just over 100 miles east of Toronto.
There was no official confirmed motive as of a midday Monday press conference, but police said there was no ongoing public safety risk.
“Let me be very clear — antisemitism, hate, and violence have no place in our community,” Belleville Deputy Police Chief Sheri Meeks said. “Every person deserves to feel safe when attending a place of worship, gathering with loved ones, or participating in community life.”
A Belleville resident captured the exchange of gunfire as a police officer providing security at the Sons of Jacob synagogue engaged the attacker and was shot.
The shooter was neutralized, and police say there is no continuing threat to the public.
— Toronto Crime Watch (@CrimewatchTO) September 21, 2026
Sons of Jacob Synagogue President Norman Weddum told CBC News, “It was boom, boom, boom. I could say, ‘Oh, this is definitely … someone is shooting here.’ 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.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — who has faced criticism from Canada’s Jewish community, as well as the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), over his handling of antisemitism-related issues — stated on Monday, “Jewish people must be able to worship safely. To live free, open, proud Jewish lives. Canada’s government will do everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. My thoughts are with the injured officer and his family, and the entire Jewish community.”
Last night, on the holiest night of the Jewish calendar, a shooting took place outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville.
A police officer was shot and the community has been left shaken.
Jewish people must be able to worship safely. To live free, open, proud Jewish…
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) September 21, 2026
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was “disgusted” by the shooting.
I’m disgusted by the shooting that took place outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville earlier this evening as Jewish community members gathered to mark Yom Kippur.
My thoughts are with the Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario, who have every right to…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) September 21, 2026
In a joint statement on Monday, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and Jewish Federations of Canada — UIA said, “Jewish Canadians should not need armed police outside their synagogues simply to pray safely. Canadians cannot accept a future, as now exists in Europe, in which synagogues and Jewish schools can only operate safely behind permanent armed police and soldiers with machine guns.”
The statement continued, “With Parliament returning this week, governments at every level must turn their attention to the domestic situation and the growing threat of extremist violence here in Canada.”
Joint Statement by CIJA and Jewish Federations of Canada – UIA:
Jewish Canadians are emerging from Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, to the horrifying images of gunfire outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, where members of the Jewish community had… pic.twitter.com/4eWBdi65HY
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) September 22, 2026
B’nai Brith Canada said, “This must be a wake-up call for Canada. We have been warning for months that the escalation of antisemitic incidents and violence was creating an increasingly dangerous environment for Jewish Canadians. We warned that as attacks against Jewish people and institutions become normalized, it was only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or killed. That day has come.”
B’nai Brith Canada is devastated by the shooting outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville Sunday night as Jewish community members gathered to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
Our first thoughts are with the injured police officer and his…
— B’nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) September 22, 2026
Jewish communities across the globe were already on heightened alert for the High Holidays season, particularly following the killings of two Jewish worshipers in a ramming and stabbing attack in front of a synagogue in Manchester, England, last Yom Kippur.
Joint Statement by CIJA and Jewish Federations of Canada – UIA:
Jewish Canadians are emerging from Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, to the horrifying images of gunfire outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, where members of the Jewish community had… pic.twitter.com/4eWBdi65HY
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) September 22, 2026
Read more:
Two Toronto Jewish Businesses Targeted in Suspected Antisemitic Attacks
Jewish Man and Police Officer Killed in Montreal Shooting Attack
