A Waterloo teenager has been arrested for his role in the March shooting attacks on two Toronto-area synagogues, the Toronto Police Service and York Regional Police announced on Friday, almost a month after another youth was charged for the crimes.
The 17-year-old boy was charged with two counts of reckless firearm discharge, two counts of conspiracy to commit an indictable offense, and two counts of weapons trafficking for the attacks on Shaarei Shomayim synagogue and Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (the BAYT).
The suspect, and a now 18-year-old who was charged on May 6, were allegedly involved in the gunshots directed at the BAYT on March 6, causing damage to the synagogue’s front doors.
Two people were inside it at the time, but were not injured. Just after midnight on March 7, shots were fired at Shaarei Shomayim, again damaging the front entrance.
The 18-year-old, who was not named by police because he was a minor at the time of the alleged crimes, had been charged with two counts of discharging a firearm into a place, two counts of mischief to property over $5,000, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possessing a prohibited device, careless storage of a prohibited device, and occupying a vehicle with a prohibited device.
Jewish groups warn of growing youth radicalization
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto (UJA) thanked law enforcement in a joint Friday statement, noting that the involvement of a second teenager was another signal of radicalization among Canadian youth.
“The nature of the charges laid in this case – including conspiracy and weapons trafficking offenses – underscores the gravity of what occurred. These were not acts of vandalism or mischief. They were targeted acts of violence directed at Jewish houses of worship,” the CIJA and UJA Federation said.
“Multiple shootings targeting synagogues represent a dangerous escalation, not only for the Jewish community, but for the broader safety and social cohesion of our country.”
The two shootings were preceded by a March 2 shooting at the Temple Emanu-El synagogue, leaving multiple bullet holes in the synagogue’s front windows. The incident occurred just after Purim celebrations had ended.
On March 10, there was a shooting at the US consulate in Toronto. No injuries were caused by the early morning shooting, the Toronto Police Service said at the time, but damage was caused to the building.
According to the allegations made in the criminal complaint against Kataib Hezbollah senior official Mohammad Bagher Saad Dawood al-Saadi, Iranian proxies may have been behind the consulate attack and a synagogue attack. The complaint did not specify which synagogue attack.