Police officer and man wounded in exchange of gunfire near Belleville synagogue

Public information from Ontario's Special Investigations Unit and Belleville Police Service places the incident at about 7:10 p.m. on Sunday, September 20. Police said an officer encountered a man near Bleecker and Victoria avenues before an exchange of gunfire.

The officer and the man were taken to hospital. Authorities told the Associated Press that the man's injuries were life-threatening. At publication time, police had not disclosed the officer's precise condition, and no reliable source reported additional gunshot victims.

The exchange occurred near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue while the Jewish community observed Yom Kippur. Ontario Premier Doug Ford described the shooting as taking place outside the synagogue while community members gathered, but police have not said what caused the encounter or confirmed that the synagogue or Jewish community was targeted.

Police said there was no continuing public-safety risk but asked people to avoid the area during the investigation. York Regional Police separately said there was no known threat in its region while announcing increased patrols around places of worship.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit sent investigators because the incident involved police gunfire and a serious injury. The firing sequence, weapons, full video record, identities and potential criminal or administrative findings remain subject to the investigation. N Globe does not present an unconfirmed motive or hate-crime factor as fact.

The accompanying image is an N Globe editorial illustration, not documentary footage. Verification status: developing. News value: B-level important news. Origin region: Canada (Ontario). Primary section: Security. Related regions: Canada and World. Incident time: about 7:10 p.m. EDT on September 20, 2026. AP publication time: September 21, 2026, 04:21 UTC. Report date: September 21, 2026.