Up to 30 shots fired near Belleville, Ont., synagogue as police faced gunman: SIU

BELLEVILLE — A man armed with a shotgun allegedly opened fire at a police officer stationed outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., on Sunday night, triggering a shootout that left him and the officer seriously injured, Ontario’s police watchdog said Monday.

The shooting took place at the start of Yom Kippur as people gathered inside the Sons of Jacob synagogue to observe the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, prompting police in other Canadian cities to increase patrols around synagogues and other places of worship.

Kristy Denette, a spokesperson for the Special Investigations Unit, said dozens of shots were exchanged, leaving nearby vehicles and homes riddled with holes. There was no forensic confirmation Monday morning as to whether the synagogue was hit, she said.

The suspect came within about half a block of the synagogue, Denette said at a news conference.

The initial gunfire exchange involved a Belleville police officer and a 29-year-old man, and a second officer opened fire afterward, Denette said, adding the agency’s investigators are securing video from body-worn cameras to get a better sense of the sequence of events.

The man was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and the police officer was in hospital in critical but stable condition, the SIU said.

Belleville police Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks identified the alleged shooter as Sean Ward, of the nearby city of Quinte West, and the officer as Const. Jeff Smith, who has been with the force for nearly 13 years.

“We are incredibly grateful for the community and the outpouring of support we have received from our community and policing partners from across the province,” Meeks said at the news conference.

“I also want to acknowledge the significant impact this incident has had on Belleville’s Jewish community. We recognize the concern and uncertainty many may be feeling, particularly given that this occurred near the Sons of Jacob synagogue during one of the holiest days in the Jewish faith.”

The deputy chief did not speak to a possible motive in the shooting. When asked whether police were operating under the assumption that the suspect was trying to get inside the synagogue, Meeks said she could not provide any further information on the investigation.

Shortly afterward, Denette was asked whether there was any evidence it was a “terrorist attack aimed at the Jewish community.”

“I’d be speculating, but I mean I think that common sense would say that probably was the case,” she said before adding that aspect of the incident is not the SIU’s jurisdiction.

“I want to be clear, the Special Investigations Unit has a limited mandate and our mandate is to criminally investigate the actions of a police officer.”

Witnesses described a chaotic and frightening scene as gunshots rang out shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Douglas Lobel, who was inside the synagogue, said the gunfire exchange “seemed like an eternity.”

“It probably went on for about two, maybe three minutes at the most and after that, the shooting stopped, so we just kind of stayed in the building, waiting for some type of instructions,” he said.

Lobel said at some point a police officer came into the lobby and shouted: “Is anybody hurt?”

No one was injured and the group of about two dozen people inside the synagogue was told to stay put while police tended to the injured officer, Lobel said.

“This officer was a hero who saved our lives,” he said, noting the synagogue had requested police presence outside the building due to security concerns. “If this officer wasn’t there, I don’t know what could have happened.”

Lobel said the congregants remained in the synagogue and prayed until they were eventually escorted out of the building and into a city bus that took them to a police station.

Heather Moon, who lives near the synagogue, said she had just put her younger child to bed when she heard multiple shots.

“I thought it was a car backfiring and it was not,” she said Monday. “It was very, very scary.”

Moon said she heard “probably” 25 to 30 shots as she recorded video.

“It was like boom, boom, boom, and then bang – and those ones you could feel in your chest, like they just shook you,” she said.

Sons of Jacob synagogue president Norman Weddum said in a statement to community members on social media that all services scheduled for Yom Kippur have been cancelled.

The shooting drew widespread condemnation from community and political leaders.

On X, Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote: “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.”

Premier Doug Ford said in his own post that he was “disgusted” by the shooting.

“My thoughts are with the Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario, who have every right to gather and worship safely and without fear,” he wrote on X.

Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the shooting, saying that Jewish Canadians must be able to feel safe in their communities.

The Belleville police deputy chief said the force has stepped up patrols across the city, including around places of worship.

“Let me be very clear: antisemitism, hate and violence have no place in our community,” Meeks said. “Every person deserves to feel safe when attending a place of worship, gathering with loved ones or participating in community life.”

Toronto police said that while there’s no known threat to local synagogues, they are increasing patrols out of an abundance of caution. Police forces in other parts of Ontario and in Winnipeg have issued similar statements.

The shooting comes after a string of violent incidents that have taken place at or near Canadian synagogues and Jewish institutions in the last few years, including shots fired overnight at synagogues in Toronto and Vaughan, Ont., last spring.

Durham regional police also said Monday that they have arrested a 19-year-old man who threatened to carry out a shooting at a synagogue in the region.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2026.

–With files from Maan Alhmidi and Paola Loriggio in Toronto

Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press