There have been several shootings of synagogues and Jewish schools in Canada over the past few years.
In response to these shootings, some pro-Israel groups and politicians have placed blame on the pro-Palestine movement and called for legal measures to be taken against it, arguing they’re necessary to protect Jewish people.
If implemented, many of these actions would restrict Canadians’ civil liberties and hamper a movement opposing genocide.
As such, serious questions should be asked of the statements coming from these figures, starting with if their framing of the shootings is accurate.
Based on the facts currently available to the public, it appears it’s not.
Here’s a list of shootings at synagogues and Jewish schools since Oct. 7, 2023, with details about who’s alleged to be responsible for each one.
None have been publicly connected to the pro-Palestine movement in even the most tenuous sense.
Nov. 9, 2023 - Montreal
The front doors of two Jewish schools in Montreal were shot at overnight. No one was in the buildings at the time of the shootings or injured. Police said they couldn’t locate any graffiti or messages indicating the shootings were a hate crime. No one appears to have been charged with these shootings as of yet.
Nov. 12, 2023 - Montreal
One of the schools shot on November 9 was shot at again. The shooting took place overnight, and no one was inside the building or injured.
Two people have since been charged.
The first suspect, 19 or 20 at the time of the shooting, was arrested and charged in May 2024, and pleaded guilty earlier this month to “intentionally discharging a firearm into or at a place, being reckless as to whether a person was present at the time.” The prosecutor told reporters the Montreal police found no evidence antisemitism was behind the shooting and that they “know nothing about the motive.”
The second suspect, 18 at the time of the shooting, was arrested in February 2025 and charged with “vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, and recklessly discharging a firearm at a location knowing that a person might be inside.” The shooting charge was later dropped, though court records show the suspect is expected to plead guilty to vehicle theft, according to the Montreal Gazette.
I haven’t come across any reporting linking either suspect to the pro-Palestine movement.
May 25, 2024 - Toronto
The exterior of a Jewish school for girls in Toronto was shot at in the early morning. The school was empty and no one was injured. No one appears to have been charged with the shooting as of yet. Days after the shooting, police said it would be wrong to guess that it was a hate crime or a terrorist act, as it was too early in the investigation to do so.
May 29, 2024 - Montreal
The exterior of a Jewish school for girls in Montreal was shot at overnight. The building was empty and no one was injured. The shooting wasn’t reported until later that afternoon. The next day, police announced they had one possible suspect, but it appears that no one has been arrested for the shooting as of yet.
Oct. 12, 2024 - Toronto
The Jewish school for girls in Toronto shot at on May 25 was shot at again. The shooting took place overnight, the school was empty and no one was injured.
Two people were arrested and charged for the shooting later that month.
The first suspect, 20, was charged with 11 firearms offences, while the second, 17, was charged with firearms offences, possessing property obtained by crime and failing to comply with release orders. A police press release specifically noted that no hate crime charges had been laid, and as of at least June 2026, that remained the case.
The 17-year-old suspect hasn’t been named due to his age. The other suspect was named, and I haven’t come across any reporting linking him to the pro-Palestine movement.
The broad details of the incident could fit an MO established by Toronto Police in which young people linked to criminal networks were anonymously hired to shoot at buildings ranging from Jewish schools and synagogues to addresses believed to be linked to organized crime. Police have said the motivation of those involved in what they’ve called a “shooters for hire” scheme is profit, not hate.
Police haven’t publicly linked this specific shooting to the scheme.
Dec. 20, 2024 - Toronto
The Jewish school for girls in Toronto shot at in May and October was shot at again. As in the previous cases, no one was inside the building at the time of the shooting and no one was injured. It appears no one has been charged for the shooting.
March 2, 2026 - Toronto
A synagogue in Toronto was shot at overnight. It was closed at the time of the shooting, and no one was injured. It appears no one has been charged for the shooting.
March 6 to 7, 2026 - Toronto and Vaughan
Two synagogues in Toronto and Vaughan, Ont., were shot at overnight. Two people were inside the first synagogue when it was shot, but no injuries were reported. No one was inside the second synagogue or injured during the shooting.
Three people have since been arrested and charged for the shootings.
The first two suspects, both 17 at the time of the shootings, were arrested and charged in May. Neither has been named due to their ages. None of the charges laid against them were hate crime charges. I asked police why, and they told me, “For hate crime charges to be laid, investigators must have evidence that establishes motivation.”
The third suspect, 23, was arrested and charged in August. None of the charges laid against him were hate crime charges. I haven’t come across any reporting linking him to the pro-Palestine movement. He has, however, been charged with two other shootings police believe are linked to the shooters-for-hire scheme.
As such, these synagogue shootings may also fit that MO.
Sept. 20, 2026 - Belleville
A suspect and police exchanged gunfire near a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., while a service for Yom Kippur was going on inside the building. The synagogue was struck by bullets during the shoot out, but police haven’t said if it was the suspect’s target or stated his motivation. No one inside the synagogue was injured during the shooting, but a police officer involved in the firefight and the suspect both were.
The identity of the now-deceased suspect has been released, and reports have noted he’s a 29-year-old Canadian military veteran from a nearby town. I haven’t come across any reporting linking him to the pro-Palestine movement.
Given that no one has been charged for several of these incidents, it remains possible someone linked to the pro-Palestine movement may be deemed responsible. It’s also possible that future reporting may link those already named to the movement.
However, at this point, none of the suspects behind the shootings have been linked to the movement in even the broadest sense, such as posting pro-Palestine content online.
As such, the speculation from pro-Israel groups and politicians has been highly irresponsible.
