The wife of a police officer who was critically injured in a shooting outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., on Sunday evening says her husband has “very long, difficult road ahead.”
In a lengthy post on Facebook on Tuesday, Ashley Smith, who is married to Const. Jeff Smith, said he is “not walking it alone.”
“(Jeff) has an army of love behind him. And I know Jeff. He is the best man I know. He loves his family with his whole heart,” she wrote.
“He cares deeply. He gives freely. He shows up. He is a man of integrity. He is my safest place. And right now, he is fighting. So we will fight with him.”
Smith was stationed outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue when a gunman armed with a shotgun opened fire on him.
Sources tell CP24 that the 13-year Belleville Police Service veteran was shot multiple times, including in the neck. He remained in hospital in stable condition, as of Tuesday.
The suspect, Sean Ward, a 29-year-old Quinte West resident, died on Sept. 22 in hospital, following an exchange of gunfire with police.
In her statement, the officer’s wife expressed her appreciation “from the deepest part of my heart and soul” to all who have supported her husband and family since the shooting.
“I cannot begin to express what the outpouring of love and support has meant to us. I know there are things happening every day that I don’t even know about yet. Messages being sent. Prayers being said. People checking in. Hands reaching out,” Smith said.
“And I know that my gratitude will never be enough.”
She went on to say that she’s been “witnessing real-life miracles” in the wake of Sunday’s shooting, so many of which have happened “through human hands.”
Smith pointed to the role played by paramedics, police, and an “angel neurosurgeon,” as well as trauma teams, doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and personal support workers in caring for her husband.
The injured police officer’s wife also offered “love and prayers” to the Jewish community, “and to every scared soul who was there on Sunday night.”
Premier Doug Ford has previously called Const. Smith a “hero,” saying that he “stopped a tragedy in its footsteps.”
Little known about suspect
At this point, few details are known about the gunman.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Armed Forces told CP24 on Tuesday that Ward enrolled in the military in July 2017 and was released in June 2022 at the rank of corporal. He served as an infantry soldier with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, they said, but did not deploy.
Speaking with reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday, federal Minister of National Defence David McGuinty called the shooting “very, very unfortunate.”
Asked about concerns it could point to wider issues within the military, McGuinty said that efforts have been underway for more than a decade to make “cultural changes.”
“We are making great progress. We have changed the standards for recruitment. We have changed the standard, for example, for probationary periods from nine weeks until the end of your basic training,” he said.
“There have been improvements. There is always work to be done. This is a very, very unfortunate situation. I feel very much for the Jewish community in Belleville. I have one of the largest synagogues in this region in my riding so we are obviously very concerned.”
With files from CP24’s Chris Fox
