York Regional Police is expanding its presence around Jewish education centres and places of worship following a shooting outside a Jewish elementary school in North York.
Toronto police responded to reports of shots fired outside Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School in the Dufferin and Finch Avenue west area just before 5:00 a.m on Saturday.
Officers on site found evidence of gunfire. There were no reports of injuries, police said.
“I completely understand that this can cause concern and fear and anxiety in the community, especially when it happens at a school like this, and especially with the students, the parents and the staff,” Insp. Paul Krawcyz, a Toronto Police Service gun and gangs task force officer, said during a press conference on Saturday.
Following the incident, York Regional Police upped its presence around the school and at Jewish community hubs in the neighbourhood.
“In light of recent incidents in Toronto, York Regional Police will be increasing Police presence around Jewish education centres and places of worship. This measure aims to enhance the safety and security of our communities,” the service said.
However, police say it’s too early to infer whether the incident was an act of terrorism or a hate crime. Nonetheless, the hate crime unit is supporting the investigation.
“We’re not ignoring the obvious,” Krawcyz said.
On Monday, municipal and provincial leaders, including Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Toronto Mayor Oliva Chow, attended a solidarity rally alongside members of the Jewish community at the school.
Since the incident, numerous Jewish advocacy groups and politicians are calling the shooting targeted.
The Centre For Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) released a statement saying the act was a “clear, calculated, and premeditated targeting of a Jewish school.”
“The fact a school was targeted regardless of whether kids were present or not represents another worrying escalation in the violence Jewish Canadians have been experiencing…we’ve continuously been raising awareness of the troubling increase in antisemitic incidents that are becoming more violent and threatening. The stress and anxiety this creates for the Jewish community cannot be understated,” the organization said.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow shared a statement on X calling it a “despicable antisemitic act.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also responded in a tweet that read, “this is a gross display of antisemitism. It’s beyond belief that anyone could be this hateful.”
“Every student deserves to feel safe at school. If you have any information, please contact Toronto police. These cowards need to be found and brought to justice,” he added.
