Man charged for shooting at two Toronto-area synagogues in March

Accused, a minor at the time, fired shots at separate synagogues 30 minutes apart over Shabbat; is indicted on illegal weapons and property damage charges

A man was charged on Wednesday for firing shots at two Toronto-area synagogues in March, police announced.

The man, who is not named because he was 17 at the time of the incidents, was accused of firing shots at the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto late at night on March 6.

Two maintenance workers who were at the synagogue at the time of the attack, cleaning up from a Shabbat dinner, were not injured.

The man is also accused of firing multiple shots at the entrance of the Shaarei Shomayim congregation in North York, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south, around 30 minutes later.

In both cases, only the buildings were damaged, and no injuries were reported.

York Regional Police said the accused was given illegal weapons possession and property damage charges. It said the investigation is ongoing.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto said the shootings “shook the sense of safety not only for those congregations, but for Jewish communities across the region.”

“We thank the Toronto Police Service and York Regional Police for their diligence and coordination in advancing this investigation. Their work sends a clear signal that those who target our community will be identified and held accountable,” the community groups said, emphasizing the importance of law enforcement.

“Multiple shootings targeting synagogues represent a dangerous escalation. Canada’s reputation as a safe and inclusive country depends on our collective willingness to confront this reality directly. We will continue working with partners at all levels to ensure the safety and security of Jewish institutions and to address the conditions that allow hate to take root,” it added.

Antisemitic incidents in Canada reached a record high in 2025, with 6,800 acts of anti-Jewish hate reported nationwide, according to a report released by B’nai Brith Canada last week.

The report showed that antisemitism has “metastasized” throughout all aspects of Canadian life, the group said.

The shootings came as Jewish security officials warned of possible threats to Jewish institutions connected to the US-Israel war against Iran, whose agents have planned and staged attacks on Jewish sites around the world for decades.

They also followed a third, separate shooting at a Toronto-area synagogue a week earlier. A Toronto synagogue was hit with gunfire on March 2, less than two hours after a Purim event there concluded, while the community’s rabbi was still inside. No injuries were reported.

JTA contributed to this report.