A girls' Jewish school in Toronto, Canada, was shot at early Saturday morning, with no injuries reported, according to police, in an incident linked to the tensions surrounding the conflict in the Middle East. Just before 5 a.m., shots were fired at the "Bais Chaya Mushka" elementary school in the North York neighborhood of the city. Police Inspector Paul Krautchek stated during a press conference that suspects exited a dark-colored vehicle and "opened fire on the school, causing damage to the front of the institution." The police will increase their presence in the neighborhood and around other Jewish schools and synagogues.
Krautchek added, "We will not ignore the evidence of what happened here and what was targeted in the shooting. But at the same time, it would be wrong to indulge in mere speculation at this stage."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on X that the "reports of shooting at a Jewish elementary school in North York are appalling, and those responsible for this cowardly and anti-Semitic act must be brought to justice." Ontario Premier Doug Ford also condemned what he deemed a "blatant manifestation of anti-Semitism" on X.
The "Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center" expressed that they were "horrified" by the shooting. The organization's CEO, Michael Levitt, noted that "this shocking escalation of violence directed at innocent Jewish children should serve as a wake-up call for political leaders in our city and across our country."
In November, a Jewish religious school in Montreal, Quebec, was targeted with shootings twice in the same week, also resulting in no injuries.
