Defence minister says it’s concerning that synagogue shooting suspect was ex-soldier

Defence Minister David McGuinty says it’s very concerning that the suspect in Sunday’s shooting outside a Belleville, Ont., synagogue was a former soldier.

Sean Ward, who died in hospital after a shootout with police outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue, was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces for about five years before he was released in June 2022.

Citing anonymous military and National Defence sources, the Globe and Mail and Global News both reported that Ward was released from the army after refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

One of the sources also told Global News that the shooting suspect voiced antisemitic conspiracies.

Belleville police have not spoken about a motive behind the shooting that occurred as people gathered inside the synagogue for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

McGuinty says the government has been making “culture changes” in the Canadian Armed Forces for a decade, including changing recruitment standards and extending the probationary period for recruits.

“The situation is a serious one, and we’re taking it very seriously,” McGuinty said Wednesday in Ottawa.

He said there have been “improvements” to military culture, but “there’s always work to be done.”

McGuinty said his thoughts are with the Belleville police officer injured in the shootout and the city’s Jewish community.

“We’re obviously very concerned,” he added.

The Department of National Defence has confirmed that Ward joined CAF in July 2017 and had served with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry without being deployed.

Beyond identifying the 29-year-old as a resident of nearby Quinte West, Belleville police have not released any other details about Ward.

He died on Monday and the province’s police watchdog has said that an autopsy would be performed Wednesday.

The injured police officer, Const. Jeff Smith, was also taken to hospital in critical but stable condition. In a Facebook post shared by Belleville police, Smith’s wife said the officer has a long and difficult road ahead but the family is buoyed by an outpouring of support.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser said Wednesday that antisemitism is “a scourge upon our communities” that highlights the need to fully implement anti-hate legislation passed earlier this year.

“We’re having conversations now about how we can bring together provinces and territories, so we’re going to have a hand in the implementation of those laws, making sure that there’s training for police officers on the ground, for prosecutors, for judges,” he said in Ottawa.

“We need to make sure that the laws that we have adopted are actually implemented with the full understanding of the importance of law enforcement on the ground and the justice system on the back end.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026.

–With files from David Baxter in Ottawa

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press