Belleville Yom Kippur synagogue shooting declared hate-motivated by Canadian authorities
A shooting outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, has been declared a "hate-motivated" attack by Canadian authorities.
The incident happened on Yom Kippur, an important Jewish holiday, and was confirmed as targeted by Belleville's police chief.
Constable Jeff Smith wounded confronting shooter
Constable Jeff Smith was seriously wounded but still confronted the shooter, Sean Ward.
Even after being shot several times, Smith stayed engaged until backup arrived.
Thanks to his actions and help from Constable Mike McCurdy, a much bigger tragedy was avoided.
Smith is now recovering in the hospital.
Toronto synagogues increase patrols
Following the attack, synagogues in Toronto have increased patrols. Leaders like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strongly condemned antisemitism.
Noah Shack from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs called Smith's efforts "heroic" and urged real action to prevent future hate crimes.