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Police in Belleville, Ontario, are investigating antisemitic flyers distributed to the Sons of Jacob Synagogue and surrounding neighbourhoods, less than two weeks after a gunman attacked the synagogue on Sept. 20.
Police in Belleville, Ontario, say they are actively investigating the distribution of antisemitic flyers in the city's east end, including at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue that was targeted in a shooting last month.
Antisemitic Flyers Target Belleville East End
The flyers were found Thursday morning, just over a week after a gunman opened fire outside the synagogue on Sept. 20. Norman Weddum, president of the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, said he woke up Thursday morning to find antisemitic flyers had been distributed to the synagogue and the surrounding neighbourhoods. He said four different flyers blaming Jewish people for everything under the sun were distributed overnight to the synagogue and throughout the city's east end.
Weddum said the number of flyers littered throughout the area suggests it could not have been done by one person. He called the distribution particularly disturbing in the wake of the Sept. 20 attack, which police have described as a thwarted mass killing of Jewish worshippers at the start of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
In a brief media release issued Thursday afternoon, Belleville police said they recognize incidents such as this can cause concern within the community. Hate has no place in Belleville, the release said, and the Belleville Police Service remains in contact with community leaders. Police said they are taking proactive steps to support the safety and well-being of residents. Increased patrols will continue throughout Belleville, including around places of worship and other community gathering spaces, according to police.
Police Investigate Attack and Threats
Anyone who witnesses or experiences a hate-motivated incident is asked to call 911 in an emergency or the Belleville Police Service non-emergency line at 613-966-0882. Police previously said that on Sept. 20, 29-year-old Sean Ward of Quinte West opened fire on a police officer stationed outside the synagogue. Police have said Ward had multiple guns, large amounts of ammunition, gasoline and the motive to carry out an extended attack when he opened fire. They said Const.
Jeff Smith suffered multiple gunshot wounds but stayed engaged with the shooter, and soon after, a second officer arrived and joined the shootout. Smith is expected to undergo multiple surgeries and continues to recover in hospital. No one inside the synagogue was hurt. Ward suffered life-threatening injuries in the shootout with police and later died from his injuries in the hospital the next day.
Police Chief Murry Rodd described the shooting as a deliberate attack directed at members of the Jewish community. The Canadian Armed Forces have since said that Ward was a former soldier who served for about five years before he was released from the military at the rank of corporal in 2022. The shooting was widely condemned by politicians and prompted synagogues and Jewish institutions elsewhere to review their security measures.
Synagogue Community Faces Recovery
Weddum said Sons of Jacob has held some services since the attack and will hold another Friday evening. We are trying to get people back into the building, and I think it is helping, he said in a phone interview Friday. They were traumatized, and it is going to be a long healing process. But we are working on it, and we are not going to be stopped by it.
The new flyers, distributed in the east end, have added to concerns among residents and community leaders in the days since the violence. Belleville police said they are continuing to investigate the flyer distribution and are asking anyone with information, including video evidence, to come forward. The service also said it remains in contact with community leaders and is taking steps to support safety and well-being. Authorities are urging residents to report any hate-motivated incidents.
In an emergency, call 911. Otherwise, contact the Belleville Police Service non-emergency line at 613-966-0882. The investigation into the flyers is ongoing.
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CTVToronto:Police investigating antisemitic flyers distributed in Belleville, Ont. 
CP24:'Disturbing': Belleville, Ont., synagogue receives antisemitic flyers after shootingThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Sons Of Jacob Synagogue Shooting Belleville Police Investigation Hate-Motivated Incident Sean Ward Quinte West Sean Ward Jeff Smith Const. Jeff Smith
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