Bullets fired, window smashed at Jewish school in Toronto’s north end: police

TORONTO — A Jewish school for elementary girls was struck by gunshots for the second time in six months, Toronto police said Saturday as they announced an investigation.

Toronto Police Service said officers responded to a call about a smashed window at Bais Chaya Mushka in the city’s north end at around 4 a.m. Saturday.

“Upon further investigation, it was determined that shots had been fired,” Insp. Paul Krawczyk, the officer in charge of the investigation, told reporters.

Krawczyk said while the school was empty at the time and no one was harmed, such attacks cause concerns within the Jewish community.

Krawczyk said the force’s gun and gang task force is leading the investigation, with support from members of the hate crime unit.

He added that police could not confirm whether the incident is considered a hate crime, but he noted there were signs the attack could have been motivated by hatred since it occurred on a holy day of the Jewish calendar.

“It is Yom Kippur, and a Jewish school has been shot up. So that is why the hate crime unit is a big part of this investigation,” Krawczyk said.

The same school was the target of another shooting in May, and police said a key part of the investigation is to find out whether the two incidents are connected.

“We understand the fear and pain that incidents like this cause especially on a day as sacred as Yom Kippur,” Krawczyk said. “Our priority is your safety and we are committed to doing everything we can to find those responsible.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a social media post that he was “very disturbed” by the attack on the school.

“As we wait for more details, my heart goes out to the students, staff, and parents who must be terrified and hurting today,” he wrote on X, formerly know as Twitter.

“Antisemitism is a disgusting and dangerous form of hate — and we won’t let it stand.”

Toronto mayor Olivia Chow called the shooting a “horrific antisemitic act” motivated by “disgusting hate.”

“I reiterate that the students of Bais Chaya Mushka have the right to learn, and the teachers have a right to teach, in safety and without fear of antisemitic attacks,” she said a statement posted on her X account.

“Jewish families and the Jewish community should not be made to fear for their safety. Antisemitic violence and threats are unacceptable.”

Krawczyk said police had increased their presence in the Jewish neighbourhoods in the past couple of weeks, and that they will continue to have more presence in the area as the investigation continues.

“We understand this is deeply unsettling for the Jewish community, especially today, on such a significant day.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2024.

Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press