Updated September 24, 2026 @ 4:04pm
The shooter who targeted a Belleville, Ont., synagogue shouted "you're going to die for the Jews" before he opened fire on a police officer outside, the police chief said, describing Sunday's attack as a thwarted mass killing of Jewish worshippers.
Chief Murray Rodd said the shooter had multiple guns, significant amounts of ammunition and the motive to carry out an extended attack at the synagogue.
"The only thing that stopped entry into the synagogue to execute the intent were the two officers," Rodd said at a Thursday news conference, the first comments made by police about the shooter's motive.
"The loss of life and irreversible damage that could have ... rippled through our community for generations cannot be overstated."
The shooter ambushed Const. Jeff Smith, who was stationed outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue as those inside marked the start of Yom Kippur, Rodd said.
Smith was shot multiple times but "stayed engaged" with the attacker, Rodd said. About three minutes later, a second police officer arrived and joined what Rodd described as an "active gunfight."
The suspect, 29-year-old Sean Ward, was fatally injured in the shooting and he died in hospital the next day. The Canadian Armed Forces have said that Ward was a former soldier who was released from the military in 2022.
Smith, who was sent to hospital in stable but critical condition, is expected to undergo multiple surgeries to treat his gunshot wounds.
The attack has underscored fears among Canada’s Jewish community about the rise in reported antisemitism and a string of violent incidents. Jewish groups have called for immediate government action to boost armed security at synagogues and Jewish institutions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026.
--With files from Jordan Omstead
