Montreal Jewish school hit by at least 1 bullet, police say

Montreal police were investigating Thursday after a Jewish school in the city was hit by gunfire, only days after a Toronto Jewish girls school was also the target of a shooting.

Police responded after they received information that projectile impacts were visible on the school located on Hillsdale Road in the city’s most populous borough, Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

Police arrived at the school at around 6 p.m. Wednesday and discovered signs of two bullets having hit the front of the school.

The Jewish Community Council confirmed the alleged shooting occurred at the Belz school, which is located at the Young Israel of Montreal Synagogue.

View image in full screen

View image in full screen

Police said there were no injuries, and they’re not sure when the shooting occurred. No suspects have been identified.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced the latest violent act and promised that law enforcement was working to ensure those responsible would be caught.

“I was of course relieved that no one was hurt, but I’m disgusted by these vile and despicable acts of antisemitism. It needs to stop now,” he said Thursday in Toronto.

“To Jewish parents and students across the country, we stand with you. We will always work to safeguard your right to live proudly Jewish lives in Canada.”

View image in full screen

The shooting was discovered less than a week after Toronto police said shots were fired at the Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School, and months after similar incidents at other Montreal Jewish institutions in the weeks following the start to the Israel-Hamas war.

Montreal police announced last week they had arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with gunshots that were fired at a Jewish school in the city in November. A separate Jewish school in Montreal was also targeted by gunfire and a synagogue in the city’s suburbs was firebombed in late 2023.

Nobody was hurt in any of the incidents.

Jewish organizations Federation CJA and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs issued a joint statement Wednesday night condemning the news of the shooting and calling on Montreal’s municipal leadership to do more to combat antisemitism.

“We have had enough. Yet another Jewish school was shot at in the middle of the night — in Canada,” Federation CJA president Yair Szlak and CIJA Quebec vice-president Eta Yudin wrote.

“Thankfully no one was inside the building, but this violent hatred must no longer be tolerated.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the shooting.

“We are witnessing a terrifying escalation of antisemitism in this country,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The Trudeau government must step up and finally do something to protect Jewish people in Canada against this violence.”

Montreal police said a patrol car will be present near the school.

2:22 ‘Vile act’: Trudeau, Ford condemn shooting at Toronto Jewish girls school

• ‘Vile act’: Trudeau, Ford condemn shooting at Toronto Jewish girls school
• Trudeau says Canada ‘horrified’ by Israeli strikes on Rafah tent camp
• Calls for armed security guards outside Jewish institutions met with controversy
• School rabbi speaks out, calls for peace following shootings
• Montreal suburban mayors call for increased security in wake of recent shootings at Jewish schools
• Montreal school shooting raises concerns for local Jewish community
• Montreal Jewish school target of another shooting in week-long string of hate crimes
• Trudeau condemns brawl at Concordia, gunfire at 2 Jewish schools in Montreal: ‘Not who we are’
• Concerns mounting after 2 Jewish schools hit by gunfire in Montreal
• Gould condemns attacks on Jewish institutions, 2 Jewish schools
• Minister Gould says she feels ‘deep sadness’ over recent antisemitic attacks in Montreal

Previous Video

Next Video

— with files from Global News’ Brayden Jagger Haines