Suspect in Yom Kippur shooting at Ontario synagogue dies of injuries
A 29-year-old man suspected of firing on a police officer outside an Ontario synagogue on Yom Kippur has died, the province's police watchdog said.
A 29-year-old man suspected of opening fire on a police officer stationed outside an Ontario synagogue during Yom Kippur has died of his injuries, Ontario's police watchdog said Tuesday.
Belleville police identified the man as Sean Ward of Quinte West. The province's Special Investigations Unit, an independent civilian agency that examines police shootings, said Ward died Monday night.
The Department of National Defence said its records show a former Canadian Armed Forces member named Sean Ward, released in June 2022 at the rank of corporal, matches the description of the shooting suspect.
According to the Special Investigations Unit, a man armed with a shotgun fired on an officer posted outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue on Sunday night, setting off a shootout that left both the man and the officer seriously wounded.
The attack unfolded at the start of Yom Kippur, as worshippers gathered to observe the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
Police have not established a motive or said whether the synagogue or the wider Jewish community was targeted. The SIU is reviewing the officers' conduct, while Belleville police are running a parallel criminal investigation into the man's actions and any possible motive.
The shooting comes months after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that Canada was failing its Jewish community amid a rise in antisemitism.