The Toronto police department arrested two individuals on Thursday for firing gunshots at a Jewish girls’ elementary school.
A 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old minor were arrested in connection to shots fired at Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School on October 12. The police said that the shots were fired from a vehicle and hit a window of the school, though there were no reports of gunfire in the area at that time.
“I’m pleased to announce the arrest of two individuals in connection with the incident that took place at Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School on Saturday, October 12,” said Deputy Chief of Police Robert Johnson. “Both males face multiple charges, including unauthorized possession of a loaded firearm—a Glock handgun modified to be fully automatic. While I can’t share details on the motivation behind this incident due to the ongoing investigation, we are thoroughly exploring why these two individuals committed these crimes and any connections to the previous shooting incident at this school on May 25, 2024.”
“This is the second incident at the school and it occurred on Yom Kippur, a sacred day for the Jewish community, making this even more devastating,” Johnson said in a press conference Friday. “The safety of our communities remains our top priority, particularly as global tensions rise and the Jewish community observes the High Holidays.”
“The safety and well-being of our communities remains our highest priority,” said Chief of Police Myron Demkiw. “Our increased police presence across the city will continue for as long as necessary, demonstrating our commitment to keeping all neighborhoods safe. As I’ve said before, our investigations are ongoing, and charges can be laid at any time—whether immediately after the incident or in the days and weeks that follow.”
The two alleged shooters of the Jewish elementary school in Toronto have been arrested.One of the shooters had a Glock handgun modified to be fully automatic.Thank you @TorontoPolice for getting these dangerous criminals off of our streets.#Toronto #antisemitism pic.twitter.com/ewIPI17305
— David Jacobs (@DrJacobsRad) October 18, 2024
An attack on the community
The Toronto Jewish community held a rally for support outside of the school the Monday after the shooting.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow attended and called antisemitism a “cancer” on society. “I’m here to provide comfort and assure the children and their families that the city and the police will do everything we can to keep them safe,” she was quoted as saying by CP24.
She was also quoted in CTV as saying that “Jewish families and the Jewish community should not be made to fear for their safety.”
“We’re incredibly concerned. We’ve seen a growing rise in antisemitism since October 7, but we haven’t seen something like we’ve seen this weekend, the shooting at this institution,” Steve McDonald of UJA Federation told CTV. “And we really feel this is not just an attack on this wonderful school but an attack on an entire community.”
“This isn’t close to home, this is home,” Principal Rabbi Yaakoc Vidal told CP24. “We were able to see the suspects driving up on the street right here, parking right here across the street from where we are right now. They came up to the fence and fired shots and had people waiting for them in the car and then they drove off.”
No injuries were reported after the shooting.
