‘Totally unacceptable:’ Police provide more details about North York synagogue shooting

Toronto police say that the shooting of a synagogue in North York late Monday night is “alarming” and is being treated “with the highest priority.”

Officers were called to Temple Emanu-El, which is just south of Bayview Avenue and Highway 401, at around 10:50 p.m. for reports of gunshots being fired.

No injuries were reported but when police arrived at the scene they said they located multiple shell casings near the front of the synagogue as well as damage to the building itself.

Police say there were reports of a vehicle leaving the area shortly after shots were fired, though no description has been released at this point.

“We are approaching this with the full resources and seriousness it demands,” Deputy Chief Robert Johnson said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “Let me be very clear: a shooting targeting a place of worship is totally unacceptable. It is alarming, it is something we treat with the highest priority.”

Johnson said that investigators are “actively reviewing” video footage from the area and canvassing the neighborhood for additional information.

He said that the investigation is “active and ongoing” and is being led by the Toronto police’s Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force in “close collaboration” with the Hate Crime Unit.

“I know that incidents like this create fear and anger within the Jewish community. We recognize that this does not occur in isolation,” Johnson said. “Members of Toronto’s Jewish community have been experiencing a deeply troubling rise in antisemitism and we see the impact of that every single day.”

‘It is devastating’

Johnson said there have been 22 antisemitic occurrences reported to Toronto police so far this year, accounting for 63 per cent of all hate crime reports.

He said that those numbers “represent real people and real harm.”

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Rabbi Debra Landsberg said members of the synagogue were gathered Monday night to mark the Jewish holiday Purim hours prior to the shooting.

“The congregation had gone home and we heard a series of gunshots, which sounded almost like fireworks, but this was not a firework holiday,” Landsberg explained.

Some members of the synagogue were still inside when the shots were fired, she said.

Landsberg said she is “a bit shaken up” by the shooting and, in a way, feels like the incident has rocked the synagogue’s longstanding place in the neighbourhood.

“It is devastating that there are those in this society that want to shatter what we have here.”

Landsberg said Temple Emanu-El has never been targeted like it was Monday night, noting that Kehillat Shaarei Torah, another synagogue nearby, has been vandalized multiple times.

Premier Ford, Mayor Chow condemn attack

Ontario Premier Doug Ford reacted to the shooting earlier on Tuesday, calling it a “vile and targeted act of antisemitism.”

“We will not tolerate hate, intimidation or violence against any community. We stand firmly with our Jewish neighbours and will always defend their right to gather, worship and live openly and safely in Ontario,” he said in a post to social media.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said police will increase their presence in the area to keep the community and the synagogue’s congregation safe.

“Toronto’s Jewish community has the right to practice their faith without fear, intimidation or violence,” she said.

In a joint statement from the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the groups said Monday’s attack poses not just a threat to the Jewish community but to “every Canadian who wants to live in peace and safety.”

“The escalation of intimidation and extremism targeting Jewish Canadians will inevitably lead to much worse—and the consequences are potentially lethal," CIJA CEO Noah Shack wrote in part.

The shooting at Temple Emanu-El comes less than 24 hours after three separate shootings targeting businesses in northwest Toronto.

Johnson was asked about those incidents on Tuesday but said that he was not able to say whether there could be any connection due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

He also cautioned against what he said is “misinformation circulating online” about Monday’s shooting.

“Speculation and unverified claims only add to the fear that the community is feeling,” he said. “If you want to help us find those responsible it is important to bring information and evidence to the police rather than simply posting it to social media.”