Prime Minister Mark Carney said Jewish people in Canada must be able to worship without fear, responding to a shooting at a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, the National Post reports. The incident left a Belleville police officer and a suspect hospitalized, according to the Belleville Intelligencer.
Few confirmed details about the shooting have been released. The Toronto Star, describing what it called terrifying moments inside the synagogue, reported that people were told to get on the floor. The Globe and Mail reported that answers were still being sought in the aftermath of the attack.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for BSP Constable Jeffrey Smith, Quinte News reports, identifying him as connected to the response.
Carney's comments, as reported by the National Post, centered on the right of Jewish Canadians to worship safely — a statement made as investigators continued to piece together what happened at the synagogue.
The shooting has drawn attention from national outlets, with coverage focusing on the wounded officer, the suspect in custody at a hospital, and the search for a motive. Belleville police have not, in the material available, publicly detailed a suspected motive or a sequence of events beyond confirming the hospitalizations.
What to watch next: updates from Belleville police on the officer's condition, the suspect's status, and any information on what led to the shooting.
