Ashley Smith, wife of Belleville police officer Jeff Smith who was wounded during a shooting near a synagogue on Sunday evening, describes the incident as her family's darkest day. Her husband was shot by Sean Ward, 29, while providing security outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue where a Yom Kippur service was being held. The suspect died shortly after the attack. Smith is currently in hospital with an uncertain recovery ahead, according to his wife’s statement on Facebook.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-24,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Wife of wounded Belleville police officer says he faces 'long, difficult road'
Jeff Smith was outside a Jewish synagogue when a suspect fired on him, investigators say
The wife of the police officer wounded in Sunday evening's shootout near a Belleville, Ont., synagogue is speaking out about what she's calling "the scariest and darkest day" of her family's life.
asserted
she → wound → life
"I don’t know where to begin," Ashley Smith, the wife of Const. Jeff Smith of the Belleville Police Service, wrote in a Facebook update dated Tuesday night.
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Smith → know → update
"My words aren’t strong or steady yet, but I knew I needed to find them.
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I → know → them
I needed to use my voice for my dear Jeff, until he is able to use his," she wrote.
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she → need → his
A Yom Kippur service was getting underway inside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday when a suspect later identified as Sean Ward allegedly opened fire on Smith with a shotgun, according to the Belleville Police Service and Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
uncertain
suspect → get → Service
Smith had been stationed outside the synagogue, which had requested police protection.
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which → station → protection
Precisely what happened before Smith was shot at is not yet known.
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Smith → happen → ?
The SIU — the civilian agency that investigates police conduct during shootings and other serious incidents in Ontario — is focused on what led Smith and a second officer to fire their weapons.
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what → investigate → weapons
The Belleville Police Service will look into Ward's motives, Kristy Denette, an SIU spokesperson, said Monday.
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Denette → look → motives
Ward, 29, from nearby Quinte West, died following the incident, the SIU confirmed on Tuesday.
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SIU → die → Tuesday
He got as close as half a block to the synagogue, according to Denette.
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He → get → Denette
Norm Weddum, the synagogue's president, said one of the building's street-facing windows was left with several bullet holes.
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one → say → holes
Dozens of bullets also damaged nearby homes and vehicles, according to investigators.
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Dozens → damage → investigators
'This is not going to stop us,' Belleville, Ont., synagogue president vows after shooting incident
Suspect, police officer wounded in shooting outside Belleville, Ont., synagogue ID'd
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year.
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Kippur → go → year
"This was clearly a targeted attack against Jews gathering together to pray and be in community," the synagogue said in a statement issued Wednesday.
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synagogue → target → statement
"Jews must be able to gather, pray and live openly in our communities without fear.
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Jews → gather → fear
"We will not allow fear to define our community.
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fear → allow → community
In her Facebook post — which CBC News verified through a family friend — Ashley Smith thanked the "life-saving" and "steady, capable" hands of first responders and hospital staff, including "an angel neurosurgeon."
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Smith → verify → neurosurgeon
She also expressed gratitude to neighbours, friends, community members and volunteers.
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She → express → neighbours
"And then there are the hands that held me and my sweet girls when we were living through the scariest and darkest day of our lives," she wrote.
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she → be → lives
"Today, I held Jeff’s hand.
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I → hold → hand
And I thought about all of those hands."
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I → think → hands
Sons of Jacob Synagogue has hailed Smith as a hero and said in its statement Wednesday that "our prayers are with [him] his family, his colleagues and everyone supporting his recovery."
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prayers → hail → recovery
"We will never know what might have happened inside our synagogue had Const. Smith not been there," the synagogue added.
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synagogue → know → synagogue
Smith's wife wrote in her post that "every scared soul who was there on Sunday night" was in her family's prayers.
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who → write → prayers
An online fundraising campaign for Smith and his family, launched by members of Toronto's Jewish community, has raised just under $400,000, so far.
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campaign → launch → 400,000
A separate fundraising effort to repair damage to the synagogue is also underway.
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effort → repair → synagogue
The force's deputy chief, Sheri Meeks, said Monday that Smith is "a long-standing and highly respected member of our emergency response unit, known by his colleagues as a dedicated officer, trusted teammate and committed public servant.
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Smith → say → officer
"
Sunday's shooting incident is also a reminder of the reality of policing, she added.
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she → add → policing
"The men and women who wear this uniform are not just police officers," she said, her voice cracking.
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voice → wear → uniform
Every day they leave their homes and love ones not knowing what they may encounter.
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they → leave → what
Yet when danger arises, they step forward to protect others."
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they → arise → others
The Aporia
