No one was injured after gunfire struck a synagogue in Toronto’s north end Monday night in what police said was an “alarming” incident targeting a place of worship.
Officers were called to the area of Old Colony and Harrison roads for reports of gunshots shortly before 11 p.m.
When they arrived at Temple Emanu-El, they found multiple bullet casings at the front entrance and damage to the building, Toronto police Deputy Chief Robert Johnson told reporters on Tuesday.
“Thankfully, the synagogue was closed at the time,” he said. “There were no injuries.”
Johnson said a vehicle was seen leaving the area after shots were fired but police don’t yet have a suspect description.
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He said the gun and gang task force will lead the investigation with the assistance of the hate crime unit.
“We are approaching this with the full resources and seriousness it demands,” he said. “Let me be very clear: a shooting targeting a place of worship is totally unacceptable. It is alarming.”
He said the Jewish community has been facing a “deeply troubling rise of antisemitism” since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October 2023.
“We are doing everything within our authority to protect Toronto’s Jewish community,” Johnson said.
That includes a strong police presence in Jewish neighbourhoods, he said, as well as increased patrols after Israel and the United States started attacking Iran over the weekend.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the shooting at the synagogue was “a vile and targeted act of antisemitism.”
“Antisemitism has no place in our province,” Ford wrote in a post on X. “We will not tolerate hate, intimidation or violence against any community.”
Investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward as they review video footage and canvass the neighbourhood for witnesses.