Police in Canada’s largest city have stepped up security around places of worship after gunfire struck two synagogues overnight in the Greater Toronto Area, the latest in a series of attacks targeting Jewish institutions within a week.
Authorities said shots were fired late Friday at the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue in Thornhill, north of Toronto, and the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue in North York. No injuries were reported, although police confirmed that people were inside one of the buildings at the time of the shooting.
The incidents came days after another synagogue, Temple Emanu-El in North York, was hit by gunfire earlier in the week, raising concerns among Jewish community leaders and prompting a heightened police presence across the region.
Investigators said a dark sedan was seen near the Thornhill synagogue shortly before midnight when suspects opened fire at the building.
York Regional Police deputy chief Kevin McCloskey told reporters officers found evidence that multiple shots had been directed at the synagogue. Two people were inside at the time but were unharmed.
In the North York incident, Toronto police said officers responding shortly after midnight discovered bullet holes in the front entrance of a synagogue building near Bathurst Street and Glencairn Avenue. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage and canvassing the area for witnesses.
Police from Toronto and neighbouring York Region are sharing information as they attempt to determine whether the shootings are connected. Additional patrols have been deployed near synagogues, schools, community centres and other public gathering places.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the attacks, describing them as “criminal antisemitic assaults” that violated the rights of Jewish Canadians to practise their faith safely. He said the federal government would use all available measures to confront antisemitic violence and ensure those responsible were brought to justice.
Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre said he was “appalled” by the shootings, arguing that ensuring public safety was a government’s fundamental duty. He expressed solidarity with the Jewish community and called for decisive action to end the violence.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also denounced the attacks, calling them “cowardly acts of hate” intended to intimidate the Jewish community. He said provincial authorities would continue working with police to protect places of worship and hold perpetrators accountable.
The earlier shooting at Temple Emanu-El occurred late Monday night when police responding to reports of gunfire discovered damage to the synagogue building. Rabbi Debra Landsberg said the shots were fired shortly after congregants had gathered for celebrations marking the Jewish festival of Purim.
Community leaders say the incidents have heightened anxiety among Jewish residents. Sara Lefton, a senior official with the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto, described the attacks as alarming and urged authorities to enforce hate-crime laws more forcefully.
Local officials have also called for stronger action. Vaughan mayor Steven Del Duca said repeated incidents targeting Jewish institutions suggested antisemitism was becoming increasingly normalised and urged higher levels of government to provide police with stronger tools to prevent further attacks.
The shootings come amid heightened international tensions following escalating conflict in the Middle East, which police say has coincided with a rise in antisemitic incidents in the region.
The series of gun attacks on synagogues comes at a time when more than a dozen Jewish organisations in Canada have condemned what they describe as a Khalistani-linked killing and warned of rising extremist intimidation, heightening fears within the Jewish community.
Fourteen Canadian Jewish groups issued a joint statement denouncing the killing of Nancy Gerwal, which they described as a Khalistani-linked murder, and criticised authorities for failing to adequately respond to extremist threats. The organisations said intimidation linked to extremist activism had increasingly targeted both Jewish institutions and members of the Hindu and Sikh communities.
The statement expressed solidarity with Hindu and Sikh Canadians facing threats and called on law enforcement agencies to treat extremist violence more seriously. Additional organisations are expected to join the statement after the Jewish Sabbath.
Investigations into all three shootings as well as Nancy Grewal murder are ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information or footage from the areas to contact police.
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