Belleville synagogue shooting deemed a hate-motivated crime, police chief says

The police chief says the Sunday shooting outside a Belleville, Ont., synagogue was a targeted, hate-motivated attack against the Jewish community.

Chief Murray Rodd says before firing at an officer outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue, the suspect yelled, “you’re going to die for the Jews”.

Const. Jeff Smith was injured after a man armed with a shotgun allegedly opened fire near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on the evening of Yom Kippur.

Police say Smith continues to make progress in recovery. He however did sustain multiple gunshot wounds to his head and body and is expected to undergo multiple surgeries related to serious head trauma.

Officers say Smith was shot before he had the opportunity to exit the vehicle. He exited the vehicle and engaged the attacker, where Smith was shot multiple times.

The suspected shooter, 29-year-old Sean Ward, was injured in the shooting but died of his injuries Tuesday.

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Investigators say about two minutes and 47 seconds into the gun exchange, a second Belleville police officer arrived on the scene and immediately moved toward the danger.

Const. Michael McCurdy has been identified as the second officer to join the active gunfight, hoping to bring it to an end. He was left uninjured.

Rodd says both officers confronted the attacker and prevented what would’ve become an “unimaginable tragedy”.

“Today I’m speaking on behalf of Chair Heather Smith, who can’t be with us today and sends her regrets. I think sometimes we use words like service, duty and courage without really stopping to think about what those words mean,” says Barb Enright Miller, vice chair of the Belleville Police Service Board.

“On September 20, we saw exactly what they mean. Our officer ran towards danger. His training, professionalism and most importantly, his and the service’s commitment to protecting the people of this community changed the trajectory of what could’ve been an even greater tragedy.”

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