He had a shotgun, a stockpile of ammunition and gasoline — enough, police say, to kill dozens of worshippers at a Belleville synagogue.
asserted
police → have → synagogue
Instead, a wounded officer stopped him, refusing to back down even after being shot multiple times.
asserted
officer → stop → him
The ambush at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue during Yom Kippur last weekend injured Const. Jeff Smith, who was stationed outside, Belleville Police Chief Murray Rodd told reporters Thursday.
asserted
Rodd → injure → reporters
Police played a video of the shooting, during which several loud shots can be heard.
asserted
shots → play → which
“You are going to die for the Jews,” Sean Ward said on the video as he commenced his attack.
asserted
he → go → attack
“Based on the evidence we’ve reviewed … (investigators) can confirm this was a hate-motivated crime,” Rodd said.
asserted
Rodd → base → evidence
Smith was shot multiple times but “stayed engaged” with the attacker, Rodd said.
asserted
Rodd → shoot → attacker
About three minutes later, a second police officer, Const. Mike McCurdy, arrived and joined what Rodd described as an “active gunfight.”
asserted
Rodd → arrive → gunfight
“They are both heroes,” Rodd said of McCurdy and Smith.
asserted
Rodd → say → McCurdy
“We know that there was a reconnaissance in the presence of our officer, but nothing that would have alarmed him or would have triggered him to be on the defensive.
asserted
that → know → defensive
(Smith) was then ambushed on a second pass.
asserted
Smith → ambush → pass
That’s when the shooting started,” Rodd said.
asserted
Rodd → ’ → ?
Ward, a former Canadian Armed Forces infantry soldier, died of his injuries Monday; Rodd said Thursday that evidence — including a recorded threat singling out the Jewish community — confirms the attack was hate-motivated and aimed at mass casualties.
asserted
attack → die → casualties
The shooting has renewed alarm over antisemitic violence in Canada, with Ontario’s solicitor general and the RCMP commissioner both condemning the attack this week.
asserted
general → renew → attack
“The suspect had the means, the motive and the mechanisms to cause a mass casualty (event) and the destruction of the Jewish synagogue,” Rodd added.
asserted
Rodd → have → synagogue
“The loss of life and the irreversible damage that could have rippled through our community for generations cannot be overstated.”
uncertain
that → ripple → generations
Officer was shot ‘multiple times’
asserted
Officer → shoot → ?
Belleville police said Tuesday Smith remains in the ICU but has progressed very well in the last 24 hours.
asserted
Smith → say → hours
His wife, Ashley Smith, said in a post on social media that her husband “has a very long, difficult road ahead” but is “fighting.”
asserted
husband → say → road
“He will have multiple surgeries.
asserted
He → have → surgeries
He has a long road to recover.
asserted
He → have → road
But he was shot multiple times, multiple places,” Rodd said at the news conference.
asserted
Rodd → shoot → conference
“He has everything extending from fractures to wounds still bearing shrapnel.
asserted
He → have → shrapnel
We are encouraged … with his recovery, but he has a long road to travel .”
asserted
he → have → road
Police reveal more details about synagogue shooting
The police chief said the SIU is still leading the investigation and police are in the process of reviewing the evidence.
”
asserted
police → reveal → evidence
(Ward) used the shotgun that we all spoke about.
asserted
we → use → that
He had other resources available to him.
asserted
He → have → him
He had a significant amount of ammunition on his person and available,” said Rodd.
asserted
Rodd → have → person
He also had supplies like gasoline in his vehicle to possibly commit more damage, Rodd added.
uncertain
Rodd → have → damage
“A line of decency has been crossed in our province,” Ontario’s solicitor general, Michael Kerzner, said at the news conference in Belleville on Thursday.
asserted
general → cross → Thursday
“Having an individual act in such a hateful and antisemitic attack is unacceptable.”
asserted
individual → have → attack
The shooting prompted a community vigil and renewed alarm over hate-motivated violence in the province.
asserted
shooting → prompt → province
“This was an exclusive threat to our Jewish community,” Rodd said.
asserted
Rodd → say → community
In Ottawa, RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme lamented the rise of antisemitic extremism and attacks against places of worship in Canada on Thursday.
asserted
Duheme → lament → Thursday
“Quite frankly, any Canadian citizen should be concerned about the escalation that we’re seeing across Canada,” he told reporters.
asserted
he → concern → reporters
“It’s interesting because the fact that we weren’t exposed to that in the past, and you see these ideologies, you see what’s going on around the world and how this is impacting Canadians.
asserted
this → ’ → Canadians
He joined the army in July 2017 and was released in June 2022 at the rank of corporal, according to Department of National Defence spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin.
uncertain
He → join → Poulin
He served as an infantry soldier with Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and did not deploy during his service, Poulin said.
asserted
Poulin → serve → service
Documents obtained by The Canadian Press suggest he had joined a lawsuit against the Canadian Armed Forces’ vaccination mandate, claiming $140,000 in financial losses after he was released from service.
asserted
he → obtain → service
In its statement of defence, the government argued that the lawsuit should be thrown out and that vaccinating against COVID-19 was a safe and appropriate response to the pandemic.
asserted
vaccinating → argue → pandemic
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
