Suspect in Belleville, Ont., shooting is dead, SIU says
A suspect who opened fire on a police officer outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, during Yom Kippur services has died in the hospital. The officer remains in stable condition, and the community is processing the traumatic event.
Why it matters
The incident represents a significant security threat to religious institutions and highlights the ongoing risks faced by law enforcement in community protection.
Yom Kippur services were underway inside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue when Ward allegedly opened fire on Const. Jeff Smith with a shotgun, Belleville police Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks and Kristy Denette, a spokesperson for Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), said during a Monday news conference .
The ensuing gunfire left dozens of bullet holes in nearby homes, vehicles and one of the synagogue's street-facing stained-glass windows, Denette said.
Norm Weddum, president of the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, stands by one of the building's windows he says was damaged in the shooting incident. (Michael Cole/CBC) A second Belleville police officer also fired their weapon.
Ward, from neighbouring Quinte West, had been in life-threatening condition. A spokesperson for the SIU said he died in a hospital in Kingston on Monday night.
Belleville community, Ottawa police react after shooting outside synagogue
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