Police officer wounded in shooting near Ontario synagogue on Yom Kippur

A police officer was shot and wounded near a synagogue in Ontario, Canada, on Sunday evening during an exchange of gunfire with an armed man as congregants gathered to mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, officials said.

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit said a man was in the hospital “in life threatening condition” and that the officer was injured after the shooting near Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville, around 115 miles northeast of Toronto.

The president of Sons of Jacob synagogue, Norm Weddum, told CNN the officer saved the lives of everyone who had gathered inside and that the building had been riddled with bullets.

Authorities have not yet said what led to the shooting.

Weddum said the officer had been hired to protect the congregation that day. The officer was parked nearby in an unmarked vehicle and made contact with the shooter as he approached the building, he said.

The synagogue’s president described hearing a series of bangs as he ushered people into the sanctuary, after which he and others went toward the front door to investigate.

“That’s when we heard it again –– ‘bang, bang, bang’ and they were very loud this time so we realized it was definitely shots being fired,” he said. “We all ran back, I closed the doors of the auditorium and I yelled out ‘everybody get down.’”

Weddum said bullets sprayed through the stain glass windows and across the room as worshipers crouched on the floor in fear, some calling 911.

“We were on the floor for what felt like ten minutes of gunfire but in reality, it was a few minutes. There were over 20 bullet holes in our windows.”

No one inside the synagogue was injured but all Yom Kippur services were canceled, he added.

Authorities are expected to hold a press conference from the scene at 11 a.m. Monday.

Earlier, the Belleville Police Service said an officer “encountered an individual” near Bleecker Avenue and Victoria Avenue around 7:10 p.m. The Sons of Jacob Synagogue sits at the intersection.

“The officer and the individual sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital,” the statement said, without providing further details.

York Regional Police, which patrols communities north of Toronto, said it would step up patrols and keep officers visible “where people gather to worship,” in response to the shooting.

Weddum said when the gunshots stopped, he stepped outside the building to find a heavy police presence and several officers tending to the injured officer and another individual being put into an ambulance.

Police have since cordoned off the area and are conducting an investigation, he added.

“We’re not sure when we are going to get access back to the building. We are all upset but it’s not going to deter us. We will reopen and we will have services again,” he said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to news of the shooting, saying in a statement : “We owe an immense debt of gratitude to this brave officer and to all the first responders who acted so quickly to keep the community safe.”

“My thoughts are with the Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario, who have every right to gather and worship safely and without fear,” Ford added.

CNN has reached out to Belleville police and Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit for more information.

This story has been updated with additional information.

官员称，周日晚间，在加拿大安大略省一座犹太教堂附近，一名警察在与一名持枪男子交火时中弹受伤。当时，信徒们正聚集在一起庆祝犹太历中最神圣的节日——赎罪日。

安大略省特别调查组表示，一名男子在医院接受治疗，“生命垂危”，一名警官在贝尔维尔的雅各之子犹太教堂附近发生的枪击事件中受伤，贝尔维尔位于多伦多东北约 115 英里处。

雅各之子犹太教堂主席诺姆·韦德姆告诉 CNN，这名警官救了所有聚集在里面的人的性命，而且这座建筑物当时布满了弹孔。

当局尚未公布枪击事件的起因。

韦德姆说，这名警官受雇于当天保护会众。他说，这名警官当时驾驶一辆没有标记的车辆停在附近，并在枪手接近建筑物时与其取得了联系。

犹太教堂的主席描述说，当他引导人们进入圣殿时，听到了一连串的砰砰声，之后他和其他人一起走向前门进行查看。

“就在这时，我们又听到了‘砰、砰、砰’的枪声，这次声音特别大，我们意识到肯定是有人在开枪，”他说。“我们都跑了回去，我关上礼堂的门，大喊‘所有人趴下！’”

韦德姆说，子弹穿过彩色玻璃窗，飞过整个房间，信徒们恐惧地蹲在地上，有些人拨打了 911 报警电话。

“我们倒在地上，感觉枪声响了十分钟，但实际上只有几分钟。我们的窗户上有二十多个弹孔。”

他补充说，犹太教堂内无人受伤，但所有赎罪日仪式都被取消了。

预计当局将于周一上午 11 点在现场举行新闻发布会。

此前，贝尔维尔警察局表示，一名警官在晚上 7 点 10 分左右在布利克大道和维多利亚大道附近“遇到一名男子”。雅各之子犹太教堂就位于该路口。

声明称，“警官和该名人员均受伤，已被送往医院”，但未提供更多细节。

负责多伦多北部社区巡逻的约克区警方表示，为应对枪击事件，他们将加强巡逻，并在“人们聚集做礼拜的地方”保持警力部署。

韦德姆说，枪声停止后，他走出大楼，发现现场警力部署严密，几名警员正在照料受伤的警员，还有一人被抬上救护车。

他补充说，警方已封锁该区域并展开调查。

“我们还不确定什么时候才能重新进入大楼。我们都很沮丧，但这不会阻止我们。我们会重新开业，恢复服务，”他说。

安大略省省长道格·福特就枪击事件发表声明称：“我们对这位勇敢的警官以及所有迅速采取行动保障社区安全的急救人员怀有深深的感激之情。”

福特补充道：“我与贝尔维尔以及安大略省各地的犹太社区同在，他们完全有权利安全无虞地聚集和进行宗教活动。”

CNN已联系贝尔维尔警方和安大略省特别调查组以获取更多信息。

本文已更新，添加了更多信息。