A 29-year-old man suspected of opening fire on a police officer stationed outside an Ontario synagogue during Yom Kippur has died from his injuries, the province’s police watchdog said Tuesday.
Belleville police identified the man as Sean Ward of Quinte West. Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, an independent civilian agency that investigates police shootings, said Ward died Monday night.
The Department of National Defense said its records show that a former Canadian Armed Forces member named Sean Ward, who was released in June 2022 at the rank of corporal, matches the description of the shooting suspect.
The Special Investigations Unit has said a man armed with a shotgun opened fire on a police officer stationed outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue on Sunday night, triggering a shootout that left him and the officer seriously injured.
The shooting took place at the start of Yom Kippur as people gathered to observe the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
Police have not established a motive or said whether the Sons of Jacob Synagogue or the Jewish community was targeted. The SIU is investigating the actions of the officers, while Belleville police are conducting a parallel criminal investigation that will examine the man’s actions and possible motive.
The shooting comes months after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that Canada was failing its Jewish community amid a surge in antisemitism.
