Canada: Jewish school targeted with gunfire, hate crime suspected
The Toronto Police Service in Canada has launched a hate crime investigation after shots were fired at Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School around 4:00am on Saturday. The latest incident, which took place on Yom Kippur—the holiest day of the year in Judaism—is the second such attack on the Jewish girls' school this year. The school in Toronto's North York neighbourhood was targeted in May, and authorities believe the two shootings are linked.
No injuries reported, investigation underway
Toronto Police Service Inspector Paul Krawczyk confirmed that no arrests have been made so far and details about possible suspects are being withheld. The investigation will be handled by the agency's Gun and Gang Task Force, with assistance from its hate crime unit. According to authorities, no one was injured when shots were fired from a vehicle at the school, with the only damage being a broken glass.
Police seek public assistance, increase security measures
Krawczyk has also appealed to the public for any possible evidence, including dash cam or CCTV footage. "Your help is vital to the work we do and to find those responsible," he said. Following these incidents, police presence has increased in Jewish neighborhoods and will also do so at the school as the investigation unfolds.
Canadian PM condemns attack, calls for unity
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also expressed his concern over the incident. In a statement released on X, he said, "I'm very disturbed to hear that last night, as families marked Yom Kippur, there were shots fired at a Jewish school in Toronto." He added that "Antisemitism is a disgusting and dangerous form of hate—and we won't let it stand."
