Worshippers at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in the small Canadian community of Belleville are praising officer Jeff Smith as "a hero" after he suffered severe wounds intercepting a shotgun-wielding attacker on Sunday during the Yom Kippur services, according to the local newspaper The Intelligencer. The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) identified 29-year-old suspect Sean Ward, confirming both men remain hospitalized with critical injuries.
"While he continues to face a significant road to recovery, his condition has stabilized, and we remain hopeful and encouraged by his progress," Belleville Policy Service Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks said on Smith, according to the National Post. "Our thoughts are with Const. Smith, his family, his friends, and his colleagues. Supporting them has been our top priority."
Bullet holes in truck next to Belleville Sons of Jacob Synagogue pic.twitter.com/iWFqz690eZ
— Ryan Williams 🇨🇦 | The Competition Guy (@Ryan_r_Williams) September 21, 2026
"He is a longstanding and highly respected member of our emergency response unit, known by his colleagues as a dedicated officer, trusted teammate, and committed public servant," she added.
Synagogue president Norman Weddum credited the officer with defending their Yom Kippur gathering. "I would say that cop saved everyone's life in the building and we had 25 people in there. He risked his life and ended up getting shot," Weddum told The Intelligencer. "He is definitely hero and saved the lives of all the participants that were in the synagogue. There is no question of that. No question about that. Everyone agrees with that. We're all very concerned too that he makes a full recovery. I hope he gets some type of commendation, words, a medal, something from the police services."
✡️🔴 -- BREAKING: A police officer was shot and critically wounded outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, Sunday night as Jews gathered for Kol Nidrei.
The officer returned fire after the suspect, identified as Sean Ward, 29, opened fire with a shotgun. Around… pic.twitter.com/C37BV9oimN
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) September 22, 2026
The ordeal began shortly after congregants entered the building, when "we heard the first set of bang, bang, bang, bang." Reacting swiftly to the threat, Weddum locked down the area. "I distinctly heard shots fired, like it was very clear the next volley of shots fired. It was very clear. So, we immediately pulled back, pulled everyone back into the sanctuary area, and I closed the doors because I didn't want to become a visual target here," he noted. "And then I yelled for everyone to crouch down, which we did, and there was still gunfire going on at that point."
The shooter then started "shooting through the stained glass windows. That's why, you know, we've got like 20 bullet holes in … the windows." After spotting that "and I could see a heavy police presence," Weddum confirmed the worshippers were safely evacuated via a city bus, The Intelligencer reported.
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis has not called this terrorism, saying it was "too early to determine that this was a hate crime," but said it "points in that direction" due to the target being a synagogue on Yom Kippur.
The number of requests to begin the process of aliyah among Jews in the United States and Canada nearly doubled immediately following the outbreak of the Oct. 7 war and the resurgence of antisemitism in the West, Israel Hayom has learned based on information gathered by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Jewish Agency for Israel, indicating a clear markable boost in interest to immigrate to Israel.
The terror attack against the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville on the eve of Yom Kippur marks a further escalation of the antisemitism crisis in Canada.
Our thoughts are with the police officer who acted with remarkable courage and was wounded in the line of duty. We pray…
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) September 21, 2026
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the attack and warned it could not be divorced from the overall atmosphere in the country. "Open incitement that goes untreated in the public sphere, together with anti-Israel policies, fuels antisemitism. A change is needed."
