Bay of Quinte MP tells Commons community seeks answers after Belleville synagogue shooting
Liberal MP Chris Malette told the House of Commons on Wednesday ahead of Question Period that the people of Bay of Quinte are angry, confused and hurt after Sunday night's shooting outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ont.
Malette, who represents the Bay of Quinte riding that includes Belleville, said his thoughts are with the Jewish community, the police officer wounded in the incident and all those affected. He described what happened as a near tragedy at the synagogue. He lives two blocks away. The Globe and Mail
Members of Belleville's Jewish community had gathered inside for Yom Kippur services when the shooting occurred outside. The House record for the September 21 sitting, Hansard No. 140 in the 45th Parliament, 1st Session, notes that the attack took place on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. House Hansard
Police have identified the assailant as 29-year-old Sean Ward. He was armed with a shotgun and opened fire on an officer outside the synagogue, according to investigators. CBC Ward allegedly first shot at Const. Jeff Smith, who was stationed outside the building, then at a second officer who arrived on scene.
Const. Smith was wounded and remains in hospital. Ward died in hospital, according to Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, the provincial agency that handles cases involving police that result in death or serious injury.
The SIU said 20 to 30 shots were fired in the exchange between the suspected gunman and the two officers. CBC SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette said Ward's postmortem was scheduled to take place in Kingston on Wednesday.
In the Commons, Malette offered his best wishes to Const. Smith and the officer's family. He told Jewish families across Bay of Quinte and members of the Congregation of Sons of Jacob that they deserve to "gather, worship and live openly without fear." He said there is "no place for hatred or antisemitism in Belleville or across Canada."
Malette has said he was shocked and appalled by the violence at the Sons of Jacob. He has said he is in ongoing contact with several arms of the Canadian government after alerting them to the shooting. Belleville Intelligencer
He has also said members of the synagogue were worried about security and safety before the September shooting. The Globe and Mail reported Tuesday, citing sources, that Ward spent five years in the Canadian Army but was released because he was deemed unsuitable for further military service.
The broader context here for people who follow the file is jurisdictional. The criminal investigation and the SIU review sit with Ontario. Ottawa controls the Criminal Code, hate propaganda provisions and federal security funding for places of worship. A local MP in this kind of case often acts as the conduit between a community, municipal police and federal departments. Malette's statement in the House put that local impact on the parliamentary record while the facts are still being established.
