A Jewish school in Canada’s Montreal was hit by another gunfire for the second time this week, with police now increasing security in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
CBC News reported that gunshots were heard near Yeshiva Gedola of Montreal, located on Deacon Road in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood, around 5 am Sunday (Nov 12).
The police officers, who were called in, found bullet marks on the building and shell casings on the ground nearby. However, no one was injured.
Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) spokesperson Véronique Dubuc told CBC News that witnesses spotted a vehicle fleeing the scene at the time of the gunfire.
It could not be confirmed whether there was anyone in the building during the incident.
The armed person is yet to be identified, and no arrests have been made.
Mayor denounces shooting
Denouncing the shooting, Mayer Feig, a member of the Council of Hasidic Jews of Quebec, said that the act was meant to intimidate the Jewish population in the city.
“They want to put fear into the community,” Feig said.
“These things have to stop. This has no place here in Quebec, in Canada or Montreal, it’s not who we are. There’s a conflict going on thousands of miles away, don’t bring it here,” he was quoted as saying.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante called the shooting “despicable”.
“We will not allow Montreal to be the scene of such acts,” she wrote on X.
“We must fight antisemitism. All Montrealers have the right to feel safe.”
Yeshiva Gedola was one of the two Jewish schools targeted by gunmen on Wednesday overnight.
Both Yeshiva Gedola and Talmud Torah Elementary School, another Jewish school in Côte-des-Neiges, were struck by gunfire overnight Wednesday.
Police said both Yeshiva Gedola and Talmud Torah Elementary School were empty at the time of the shooting and nobody was injured.
Rise in hate crimes against Jewish and Arab-Muslim communities
According to Radio-Canada, school officials from Yeshiva Gedola are expected to hold a news conference later Sunday morning in connection with this week’s events.
Ever since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, officials in Montreal have witnessed a rise in tensions among the Jewish and Arab-Muslim communities living in the area.
Between Oct 7 and Nov 7, Montreal police have registered 73 hate crimes and hate incidents against the Jewish community and 25 against the Arab-Muslim community.
Last year, Montreal police tallied 72 hate crimes and incidents against all groups for the entirety of 2022.
(With inputs from agencies)
