Defence Minister David McGuinty says news that the man who died after shots were fired at the site of the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville on Sunday night was previously in the military is “deeply disturbing”.
Sean Ward died in hospital on Monday night after he was severely injured in an exchange of gunfire that resulted in the bullets striking the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, at least four vehicles and some surrounding homes.
Belleville Police Constable Jeff Smith remains in hospital with very serious injuries and faces a lengthy recovery.
Reports that emerged that Sean Ward served with the Canadian Armed Forces from 2017 until 2022 with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, leaving the forces in 2022 after never being deployed.
Multiple media reports citing anonymous sources said he was released from the army after refusing a COVID-19 vaccination. At least one report also cited an anonymous source saying he had voiced antisemitic conspiracy theories.
McGuinty said the government has been making changes to their recruitment policies while also extending the probationary period for new military recruits, and says there has been a real effort at making a “culture change” in the Canadian Armed Forces for the past decade.
