World · North America · 8 hrs ago
Belleville synagogue attacker did not have a firearms licence, source says
Sean Ward, a former Canadian Armed Forces corporal, attacked the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, on Sept.
20.
Worshippers were inside for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Ward ambushed a police officer guarding the synagogue, and a shootout followed.
He died in hospital; the officer was shot in the head but helped stop Ward before he reached the building’s doors.
About 25 people inside took cover, and no worshippers were injured.
A police source with direct knowledge of the investigation says Ward did not have a firearms licence, but authorities have not said where his guns came from.
Licensing records can help police trace a gun’s owners, origins and sale history, so the absence of a licence may make that part of the investigation harder.
Police have not disclosed further details about the firearms, and the investigation is ongoing.
A police source says Sean Ward did not have a firearms licence when he attacked the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ont.
Ward, a former Canadian Armed Forces corporal, died after a shootout with police outside the synagogue on Sept. 20.
Investigators have called the attack hate-motivated and directed against the Jewish community.
Worshippers were inside for Yom Kippur, and none of the approximately 25 congregants who took cover were injured.
Authorities have not released details about where Ward’s firearms came from.
- Who
- Sean Ward, a former Canadian Armed Forces corporal, carried out the attack. A police source says he did not have a firearms licence.
- What
- Ward attacked the Sons of Jacob Synagogue and exchanged gunfire with police. He died after being shot.
- When
- The evening of Sept. 20. The article says the attack took place last month.
- Where
- Outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario.
- Why
- Investigators have called it a hate-motivated attack against the Jewish community.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
to carry on a gun battle for a long period of time
operational and privacy reasons, including the integrity of the ongoing investigation
Ward was involuntarily discharged from the military after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine, according to sources cited by the Globe and Mail.
Ward attacked outside the synagogue while worshippers gathered inside for Yom Kippur; police stopped him in a shootout.
Authorities did not release details about the origins of Ward’s firearms.
The Globe and Mail reported that a police source said Ward did not have a firearms licence at the time of the attack.
- Attacker
- Sean Ward, former Canadian Armed Forces corporal
- Firearms licence
- A police source says Ward did not have one at the time of the attack
- Attack date
- Sept. 20
- Location
- Sons of Jacob Synagogue, Belleville, Ontario
- Congregation
- About 25 members took cover; none were injured
- Ammunition damage
- Two dozen bullets pierced the synagogue’s stained-glass windows
Sources
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