Sons of Jacob Synagogue
An official with the Sons of Jacob Synagogue has confirmed to our newsroom directly some of the details about what happened during the shooting at the synagogue on Sunday night, calling it a clear “hate crime”.
Shots rang out at the corner of Bleeker and Victoria Avenue around 7:10 pm with one Belleville Police officer and a second person taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.
Pictures circulating on social media show several bullet holes in the stained glass at the synagogue.
President of the Sons of Jacob Congregation Norm Weddum spoke to our newsroom on Monday morning and confirmed many of the details.
Weddum says the synagogue was hit by the gunfire causing damage to the stained-glass windows at the building.
He says there were “multiple sets” of shots, at least 20 in total, that began as 25 people had gathered and just before the start of Yom Kippur services.
He says the shots originated outside the building, and the shooter never made it inside.
Weddum says following the initial sound, several members of the congregation went toward the outside to see what was happening but then retreated further inside and got on the floor for safety when it became clear that shots were being fired.
He says the shots that struck the stained-glass windows were from a “secondary volley” of gunfire and definitely happened after the first sets of shots were fired.
Weddum confirmed that services for Yom Kippur have been cancelled as they have to be held by the end of Monday, and it’s clear that the building will be secured for the investigation for some time (possibly days).
He also said that “when a person with a firearm approaches the synagogue and fires shots at it on their holiest day of the year, that’s a hate crime.”
Weddum says they had contacted Belleville Police out of caution and concern and that the officer who was injured was assigned by Belleville Police and was in an official police vehicle at the time. They were not directly working for or hired by the Sons of Jacob Synagogue at the time of the shooting.
He says if that officer hadn’t been there things could have been “much, much worse.”
The province’s Special Investigations unit is expected to release more information later this morning.
