By Abu Dalisu l May 29, 2026
Canadian police have arrested a second teenager in connection with a series of shootings targeting synagogues in Toronto and Vaughan earlier this year, incidents that heightened fears within Jewish communities across the Greater Toronto Area.
Authorities confirmed that the latest suspect, a 17-year-old male from Cambridge, Ontario, was arrested on May 27 by Waterloo Regional Police following an ongoing joint investigation involving Toronto Police Service and York Regional Police.
The teenager is facing six charges, including several weapons-related offences linked to attacks on two synagogues in March 2026. Because he is a minor, Canadian law prohibits the release of his identity.
Police said the first shooting occurred shortly before midnight on March 6 at the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue in Vaughan, where gunfire struck the front entrance while two people were inside the building. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
A short time later, another synagogue — Shaarei Shomayim in North York, Toronto — was also targeted. Officers responding to reports of gunfire discovered damage to the synagogue’s entrance, though nobody was injured in that incident either.
The attacks sparked widespread concern among Jewish residents and prompted condemnation from community organisations and public officials, who described the incidents as deeply disturbing acts targeting places of worship.
Earlier this month, police had already announced the arrest of an 18-year-old suspect connected to both shootings. Investigators alleged that the same individual carried out the coordinated attacks on the synagogues. )
The first suspect was charged with multiple offences, including unauthorized possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm into a building and mischief to property exceeding $5,000. Authorities noted that he was 17 years old at the time of the alleged crimes and therefore could not initially be publicly identified.
In a joint statement released after the first arrest, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto said the shootings had “shaken the sense of safety” within Jewish communities in the region.
Investigators believe the suspects fled the scenes in a dark-coloured Honda Civic after the attacks. Police have continued gathering evidence as part of what officials described as a lengthy and complex joint investigation involving hate crime and firearms units.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and urged members of the public with relevant information to come forward.
The synagogue shootings occurred amid growing concerns about rising hate-related incidents and antisemitic attacks reported across parts of Canada in recent years, especially following heightened tensions linked to conflicts in the Middle East.
Police have not yet publicly disclosed a motive for the attacks, but security around several religious institutions in the Toronto area has reportedly been strengthened since the incidents occurred.