Police in Toronto and the nearby York Region are asking for the public’s help to identify a male suspect wanted in connection with two spring synagogue shootings.
The shootings occurred within hours of each other in March, first in Vaughan, Ont., and then in Toronto.
Investigators have published photos of a male and the vehicle they suspect was used in both incidents.
The suspect is described as a black male between 6 feet and 6 feet, 2 inches, with a thin build and black curly hair, Toronto police said in a May 1 press release.
Investigators said they secured a court order permitting them to release photos of the suspect because he was thought to be a youth. The images will be removed from circulation on May 4 at 11:59 p.m.
The vehicle is described as an older model, black, four-door Honda Civic.
Anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of the suspect or the vehicle is asked to contact police or call or email Crime Stoppers anonymously with tips.
Shootings
The first shooting occurred just before midnight on March 6. Sounds of gunshots were reported near Clark Avenue West and York Hill Boulevard in Vaughan. Officers responding to the scene found the front doors of the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue had been hit by gunfire.
Two people were in the synagogue at the time but were not hurt, York Regional Police said in a May 1 statement.
The next shooting occurred just after midnight. Toronto police officers responded to reports of gunshots at the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue at Bathurst Street and Glencairn Avenue and found damage to the front entrance that was “consistent with gunfire,” police said.
No one was inside the Toronto synagogue and no injuries were reported.
Less than a week earlier, another synagogue was targeted in the northern part of Toronto.
The three synagogue shootings took place in the days following the attack on Iran, which was part of a collaborative operation by the United States and Israel. The U.S. consulate in Toronto and a Toronto-area gym owned by an Iranian-Canadian activist were also targeted.
The synagogue shootings prompted widespread criticism and police said they increased patrols around Jewish communities and places of worship in response.
The Jewish community in Canada has faced increased levels of violence after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
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