Witnesses described confusion and fear during a shooting at a Belleville, Ontario synagogue on Sunday night while Yom Kippur services were held. Gunshots shattered stained glass windows, prompting congregants to seek cover. A police officer stationed outside for security was critically injured but stable after exchanging gunfire with the suspect, who also faces life-threatening injuries. Prime Minister Mark Carney and other politicians condemned antisemitic violence following the incident.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 20, 2023 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, a police officer was shot during an interaction with an individual near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue around 7:10 p.m. Both the officer and the individual sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital. The incident occurred as Jewish community members gathered for Yom Kippur services. Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) was notified and is investigating the shooting. Premier Doug Ford condemned the attack, stating that those responsible should be arrested and prosecuted. Local police have not provided further details about the incident while the investigation continues.
Written for “Belleville Synagogue Shooting” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 55 other(s) covering the same event.
It’s Monday, September 21.
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Here are the top stories we’re following today.
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Witnesses recount confusion, gunshots, smell of gun powder during Belleville synagogue shooting
“I yelled for everyone to get on the floor, to crouch right down,” as they heard numerous gunshots hit the stained glass windows on the outer part of the synagogue during a Yom Kippur service on Sunday-night, said the synagogue’s president.
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president → recount → night
One of the congregants recalled, “Sitting there, we hear, ‘Pop! Pop! Pop!’
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we → recall → Pop
We don’t know if there’s only one shooter.
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We → know → ?
For me the biggest concern was … are they going to get into the building?”
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they → go → building
Police officer shot outside Belleville synagogue identified, faces ‘significant road to recovery’
Const. Jeff Smith was stationed outside a Belleville, Ont. synagogue on Sunday because of safety concerns, when dozens of shots rang out.
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dozens → shoot → shots
Smith and the suspect are believed to have shot at each other.
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Smith → believe → other
Both are in hospital, the officer is in critical but stable condition, while the suspect has life-threatening injuries.
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suspect → have → injuries
‘Jewish people must be able to worship safely,’ Carney says about shooting at Belleville synagogue
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Carney → worship → synagogue
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre joined politicians from across Canada in condemning antisemitic violence, following the shooting at a Belleville, Ont., synagogue.
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Carney → join → synagogue
Carney vowed that his “government will do everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
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perpetrator → vow → law
Poilievre called on Carney to take further action:
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Poilievre → call → action
“This vile antisemitic violence in Canada must end, and this Liberal government must act now to protect our people.”
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government → end → people
Ontario teachers told they serve white supremacist system that must be destroyed
A projected slide from a recent all-staff meeting held at an elementary school in York Region, near Toronto, presented the assembled teachers with 10 “anti-oppression agreements.”
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slide → tell → agreements
Among them, “I will accept that the institution of Education is an instrumental tool for maintaining and furthering the ideology of white supremacy.”
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institution → accept → supremacy
Tristin Hopper writes that the language the slide uses “isn’t all that different from any number of official materials distributed to Ontario teachers declaring that they are servants of a white supremacist hierarchy.”
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they → write → hierarchy
Jamie Sarkonak: N.B. judge invents the Aboriginal right to be represented by an elder in court
The judge ruled that it’s unconstitutional to bar Indigenous elders from representing Indigenous clients in provincial court on minor offences, as is currently the case.
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it → invent → offences
Sarkonak argues that should this low-level ruling catch on elsewhere, “this could go very poorly” as “courts would expect to hear more completely bonkers arguments” from Indigenous sovereigntists.
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courts → argue → sovereigntists
“If you believe it’s your duty to advance Indigenous rights, as many of these judges do, you may very well decide that it’s time to give the radical Turtle Islanders what they want,” she writes.
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she → believe → what
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