Toronto Police have launched a public appeal for information to help identify a vehicle connected to a suspected hate-motivated attack against members of the Jewish community.
The incident occurred on Thursday, April 30, in the North York district of Toronto, near Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue West.
According to investigators, a suspect driving a vehicle allegedly fired a replica firearm in the direction of visibly identifiable Jewish individuals.
The suspect quickly fled the scene in a blue SUV. The victims suffered only minor injuries.
Authorities have released surveillance video captured by a nearby residence, which shows the suspect vehicle travelling through the neighbourhood.
Detectives are treating the case as a suspected hate-motivated assault with a weapon.
Members of the public with any relevant information are urged to contact Toronto Police.
The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto issued a strong statement on Saturday night regarding the troubling event.
"UJA has been made aware of a violent attack against members of the Jewish community involving a weapon on Thursday, April 30. While we are relieved that none of the victims were seriously injured, this reflects an escalation of antisemitic violence across the GTA," the statement read.
"Just last week, a member of the community was physically assaulted outside a synagogue, and a Jewish-owned store was vandalized in an antisemitic incident. There can be no ambiguity about the motive. These targeted attacks are intended to threaten our community and force us to hide our identity. It won’t work," the statement continued.
It added, "We are resilient, strong, and determined to live our Jewish lives freely and openly."
The organization further noted: "Toronto Police Service (TPS) are investigating this as a suspected hate crime and are asking for the public’s help to identify the vehicle used in the attack. We have confidence police will apprehend the suspect."
The incident is the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents in Toronto. Last week, a rock was hurled at the window of Aleph Bet Judaica, a Judaica shop in the city, marking the third time this particular store has been attacked.
That incident came just one day after a male suspect attempted to force his way into an Orthodox synagogue in Thornhill, just north of Toronto, and assaulted a victim before fleeing the scene.
Last month, an unknown person armed with a handgun arrived at a Jewish-owned restaurant in Toronto and fired more than ten rounds at it, shattering the display window and causing damage as far back as the kitchen. No one was injured.
In early March, shots were fired at Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Synagogue in Vaughan, just north of Toronto, one of the largest Orthodox synagogues in North America. No one was injured in the incident, though the building sustained damage.
In a separate incident that same night, Toronto police said shots were also fired at the Shaarei Shomayim Synagogue in the city. As in the earlier attack, no injuries were reported, but the synagogue building was damaged.
Days earlier, gunfire struck Temple Emanu-El in North York, as members of the congregation were marking the Jewish holiday of Purim. There were no injuries but the building was damaged.
Data released by the Toronto Police Service in May found that the city experienced a historic high in reported hate crime incidents in 2024, with the Jewish community, once again, being the leading target.