The shooter who opened fire at an officer near a Belleville synagogue was engaged in a hate-motivated crime, police say.
In an update Thursday afternoon, Belleville police said the act was “deliberate” and targeted the Jewish community “during one of the holiest observances of the year.”
The attack happened Sunday evening during celebrations for Yom Kippur.
Police allege Sean Ward, a 29-year-old man from Quinte West, opened fire at Const. Jeff Smith who was stationed in front of the synagogue, “as part of his regular duties.”
Police said Thursday Smith noticed the shooter pass by earlier in the day but was not alarmed.
“He was then ambushed on a second pass,” Belleville Police Chief Murray Rodd said.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) confirmed Tuesday that Ward died in hospital Monday night. Smith remains in hospital in critical but stable condition.
“The suspect had the means, the motive and the mechanisms to cause a mass casualty and the destruction of the Jewish synagogue,” Rodd said.
Police played a video recording from the area of the shooting Sunday in which the shooter appears to tell Smith, “You are going to die for the Jews.”
Approximately two dozen people were inside the synagogue at the time of the attack. No one inside was injured, police said.
Norm Weddum, president of the Sons of Jacob congregation, said he was inside at the time of the shooting and wasn’t fully sure what was happening outside the synagogue’s walls.
“After seeing this video, I’m almost at a loss for words. It’s very sobering,” he told reporters. “He had the means to eliminate all of us in the synagogue and then probably destroy the synagogue as well.”
“A line of decency of having an individual act in such a hateful and anti-Semitic attack is unacceptable,” Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said.
Kerzner said he has spent the last two days in Belleville meeting with the police force, the mayor and the community.
“It’s one thing to say hate has no place here in our province and in our country, but we already know that,” he said. “We have to go further and faster. We have to have a clear call that there must be consequences for people that behave in this manner that do not subscribe to the values of who we are.”
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“We must suffocate hate.”
Rodd said there is evidence that has been found that will corroborate the intent “in more detail,” but did not provide any specifics on what has been found. He did say there were materials in the shooter’s car that would be considered “combustible.”
Military sources told Global News Ward was part of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry for five years before he was discharged after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said the former soldier expressed a wide range of conspiracies related to the pandemic, including blaming Jewish people for its spread.
A military spokesperson would not comment on the allegations regarding pandemic-related conspiracies, saying the circumstances of Ward’s release were protected by the Privacy Act.
Documents obtained by Global News show that Ward was based at CFB Edmonton when he declined the COVID-19 vaccine on “religious grounds” and was deemed “unsuitable for further military service.”
“He has served honorably for almost 5 years,” according to a lawsuit filed in Federal Court that claimed he had incurred $140,000 in financial losses following his dismissal for violating the military’s vaccination policy.
The suit claims Ward and other plaintiffs suffered “permanent psychological, physical and emotional trauma,” post-traumatic stress disorder and “loss of trust in others” as a result of their military discharge.
The government denied the allegations.
Speaking with reporters Thursday, Simon Wolle, CEO of the Jewish organization B’nai Birth, said the police confirmation of a hate-motivated attack was not surprising, but stirs up other emotions.
“I’m not surprised. I feel angry, sad, infuriated,” he said.
He said that anger and fear is reverberating in communities across the country.
“This is not our Canada and we can’t allow it to continue to be Canada,” he said “This is not a Jewish community problem. This attack was on the Jewish community. This is a Canadian problem.”
‘Heroic’ officer recovers in hospital
Rodd said Thursday that Smith was shot for the first time before he even exited his vehicle to engage.
“Despite suffering life-threatening injuries within moments of encountering the armed suspect, Constable Smith exited his vehicle and engaged the attacker. He was shot multiple times and stayed engaged,” he said.
Rodd said it was less than three minutes before a second officer engaged in the situation. That officer, Michael McCurdy, did not sustain any injuries.
“Their actions represent the very definition of courageous policing,” Rodd said. “Because of their selfless commitment to duty, an extreme incident and an active attacker was stopped before innocent lives were lost.”
The chief of police said Smith suffered from multiple gunshot wounds to his head and body and is expected to undergo multiple surgeries related to “serious head trauma.”
“While his recovery will be lengthy and challenging, he is making progress every day,” Rodd said.
On Wednesday, Smith’s wife posted a message on Facebook, thanking the community for the “outpouring of love and support.”
She also extended her condolences to the Jewish community and the residents of Belleville.
“Please know that your love, your prayers and your support have reached us. We are deeply grateful. We love you, we see you, we pray for you,” she said.
A crowdfunding page has also been set up to support Smith and his family. The donation page, which states it is on behalf of Canada’s Jewish community, has raised more than $560,000 since the shooting.
“In Judaism, ‘pikuach nefesh,’ the preservation of human life, is among our highest obligations,” organizers wrote. “Const. Smith fulfilled that obligation not through words, but through courage and action. When members of a vulnerable community needed protection, he put himself in harm’s way.”
Police investigation continues
Belleville police say they are continuing to investigate the attack to fully determine the shooter’s motives as hate-motivated attacks continue to rise across the country.
On Saturday, Durham Regional Police arrested a 19-year-old man who allegedly threatened to shoot at a local synagogue.
On Wednesday, a 57-year-old man from the Durham region was arrested after he allegedly promoted anti-Muslim hate online.
Police forces across Ontario have said they will be increasing police presence at all places of worship during large events.
“While there is no known threat to Toronto at this time, hate and violent extremism are concerns across Canada,” Toronto police said in a statement on social media.
The SIU is also completing its own investigation into the conduct of the officers who were on duty as is customary when actions taken may have resulted in death, serious injury or the discharge of a firearm.
– With files from Stewart Bell and Jeff Semple, Global News
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