For the second time since May, police say shots were fired at a Jewish girls elementary school in Toronto.
Around 4 a.m. Saturday, Toronto police received a report of a smashed window at the Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School, Insp. Paul Krawczyk told reporters Saturday afternoon. Upon further investigation, police determined the window, along with other parts of the building, had been struck by gunfire.
No one was at the school at the time of the shooting, Krawczyk said, and there were no reports of any injuries. He also said police had not heard any reports of gunshots being heard in the area.
Police are not releasing any details about suspects at this time, Krawczyk said.
Krawczyk said the hate crime unit is involved in the investigation, adding that it is particularly concerning that the incident happened on the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, one of the most sacred days in the Jewish calendar.
“We understand this is deeply unsettling for the Jewish community,” he said.
Over the past several weeks, police have increased presence in Jewish neighbourhoods, Krawczyk said. He said the police presence will increase in the school’s neighbourhood as the investigation continues, and they will update the community as they get more details.
Chesswood Drive is closed in both directions while police investigate, police said on X. They are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them.
Politicians denounce antisemitism
On Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X, saying he was “disturbed” by the news, and that his “heart goes out to the students, staff, and parents who must be terrified and hurting today.”
“Antisemitism is a disgusting and dangerous form of hate,” read his post. “And we won’t let it stand.”
Earlier in the day, Coun. Brad Bradford posted to X, condemning the act against a Jewish school on Yom Kippur.
“Antisemitism has been allowed to swell in our city with no action,” he said in the post.
Speaking with reporters at a food bank event on Saturday, Mayor Olivia Chow called the incident “horrific” and said she had been in touch with the police chief.
“The Jewish community deserve to feel safe,” Chow said, saying antisemitism has “no place in this city of ours.”
At the same event, Premier Doug Ford called it a “disgusting act,” saying the person or people responsible “need to be arrested and thrown in jail.”
School experienced similar incident in May
This isn’t the first time the empty school was shot in the early morning hours this year.
In May, police opened an investigation after unknown suspects allegedly fired on the school early on a Saturday morning.
After that shooting, community members and politicians held a rally condemning hatred and antisemitism.
Premier Doug Ford also condemned the shooting at a news conference days after the incident, controversially saying immigrants were responsible for it, despite there being no evidence that was the case.
Krawczyk confirmed on Saturday that no arrests have been made in relation to the May incident.
