Toronton Jewish school site of shooting, 3rd time since May

A Jewish elementary school in Toronto has been hit by gunfire for the third time in the past eight months.

In one post on Xearlier on Twitter, police said they were called to Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School on Chesswood Drive, located in the area of ​​Dufferin Street and Finch Avenue West, shortly after 2:30 a.m. Friday morning.

Officers said there were signs of a gunshot, but did not provide further details about the incident. They added that no injuries have been reported.

“My office has been in contact with Toronto police since early this morning. Police are investigating reports of shots fired near Bais Chaya Mushka school. There has been some damage to the school and no injuries have been reported,” said the mayor Olivia Chow in a statement.

Chow regretted the recent incident and said “enough is enough.”

“Anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic attacks have no place in Toronto,” the mayor wrote.

The Integrated Gun and Band Task Force is investigating with support from the Hate Crime Unit.

About two months ago, shots rang out at the building in the early morning of October 12 – the day of Yom Kippur, known as the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. No one was inside the school at the time, and no injuries were reported.

The school was also hit by gunfire in May in a similar incident. In this case, police surveillance footage showed a dark-colored vehicle pulling up to the school around 8 p.m. 4:50 a.m. before two suspects dressed in dark clothing exited the vehicle and began using their firearms on the school.

Two people were arrested in connection with the incident in October, a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named under the Youth Offenders Act. Both were charged with several offences.

It is currently unclear whether there is any connection between the incidents.

In October, Premier Doug Ford and Mayor Olivia Chow went to the school to show their support. Ford called the incident “unacceptable” and a “disgusting act of anti-Semitism.”

On Friday, Chow said each anti-Semitic act is “one too many” in the city.

“The students and community of Bais Chaya Mushka have the right to learn and teach in a safe environment, free of hate and violence,” Chow said, adding that she is confident Toronto police can quickly arrest those responsible.

Toronto police have recorded an increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes since Oct. 7, the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Last October at Toronto Police Services Board meetingpolice confirmed there has been a 42.6 per cent rise in hate crimes since the same time last year. There has been a 74.5 percent increase in hate crimes against the Jewish community and a 40 percent increase in hate crimes against the Muslim community, according to the data.

With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman