Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has confirmed that 29-year-old Sean Ward, the suspect who shot and injured Belleville police officer Constable Jeff Smith and shot over 20 bullets into the windows of a local synagogue during Yom Kippur celebrations, has died in hospital.
The Ontario police investigator has confirmed that Ward died on Tuesday. Constable Smith is still recovering in the hospital but is in stable condition.
When asked if the suspected shooter was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and whether he was stationed at the nearby Trenton CFB Air Base, CAF spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin confirmed Ward had at one point served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
“We are aware of the tragic incident that occurred in Belleville, and our thoughts are with all those affected,” Poulin said. “Our records indicate that a former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member named Sean Ward matches the description provided.”
The description included a photo taken from the Facebook account of Doug Ward, who can now be assumed to be Ward’s father, though Doug Ward did not respond to Juno News’ requests for comment.
Poulin said Ward joined the CAF in July 2017 and was released in June 2022 at the rank of corporal.
“He served as an infantry soldier with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and did not deploy during his service,” she said.
Poulin also noted that the Canadian Armed Forces and National Defence “remain ready to provide assistance to the investigation if required.”
That’s sad. I know there is a lot of people against Israel and the IDF at present and with the genocide ongoing in GAZA why wouldn’t there be? That said these synagogues here should not be attacked because of the IDFs brutal actions half way around the world. The attacks on Christian church’s have mostly gone unnoticed or under reported but when there is shooting involved and it’s a synagogue or a mosque suddenly it’s news worthy, physical attacks on any place of worship or religious group should be dealt with severely and quickly.