World
Montreal police arrest man in connection with yeshiva shooting
Last November, the Orthodox school was the target of two shooting incidents
May 24, 2024 08:43
Last November, the Orthodox school was the target of two shooting incidents
May 24, 2024 08:43Police in Montreal announced on Wednesday that they have arrested a 20-year-old in connection with the shooting at a yeshiva there last November.
The Yeshiva Gedolah of Montreal was the target of two shooting incidents in November of last year; the first on November 9 and the second on November 12. The arrest stems from the second incident in which bullet holes were found near the entrance to the school building.
When police arrived on the scene, they saw “the impacts of firearm projectiles on the school door and shell casings were found on the ground,” according to a police statement from the Montreal City Police Service.
Montreal City Police said that the suspect—who local media identified as Abdirazak Mahdi Ahmed—appeared in court on Wednesday “to face charges of discharging a firearm, theft and
their arrest receiving stolen vehicles.”
The police said in announcement that the “investigation will continue regarding the possible participation of one or more other individuals in this event.”
Eta Yudin, vice president for the Quebec branch of CIJA, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said in a statement, “This attack marked a significant change in the threats experienced by the Jewish community in Quebec since Oct. 7 and well before. The stress and anxiety it caused the Jewish community since then cannot be underestimated, as we have had to endure intimidation after intimidation, as well as serial violence and anti-Semitism.
“While the escalation of violence and hatred against our community only continues, we are nonetheless pleased that further charges may be brought against the suspect,” she continued. “This senseless act, this act of terror, must lead to more serious charges, as we have often repeated since the Hamas attacks.”
Canada saw a record number of antisemitic incidents in 2023, with nearly 5,800 acts of Jew hatred being reported according to the Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents from B’nai Brith Canada.