Ontario’s Jewish community reacts with horror to the violence
Community members, elected officials and religious leaders gathered outside city hall in Belleville, Ont., for a vigil on Monday, after a suspect allegedly opened fire on a police officer near a local synagogue.
While Belleville police have not yet divulged any findings about what led Ward to that area Sunday night, one of the synagogue’s windows was left with multiple bullet holes.
Leaders of Ontario’s Jewish community have roundly condemned Sunday’s incident as a targeted hate crime.
Ontario’s police watchdog, which is also investigating Belleville police, has said that Ward got to within half a block of the synagogue.
Asked Monday whether the evidence suggested it was an attack aimed specifically at the Jewish community, a spokesperson for the watchdog replied: “I’d be speculating, but … I think that common sense would say that probably was the case.”
