A quiet Sunday evening in Belleville turned into a major police investigation after gunfire erupted near a synagogue, leaving a police officer critically injured and a 29-year-old man with life-threatening injuries.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says the incident happened at approximately 7 p.m. on September 20 near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, around Victoria and Bleecker avenues.
According to preliminary information released by the SIU, a Belleville Police Service officer was in the area when there was an exchange of gunfire involving a 29-year-old man armed with a shotgun.
Both the man and one police officer were struck.
The officer was taken to hospital and was listed in critical but stable condition. The 29-year-old man was also transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
SIU Takes Over the Investigation
Because a police officer was involved in the shooting and serious injuries occurred, Ontario’s civilian police watchdog has taken over the investigation.
The SIU has assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to determine exactly what happened before, during and after the exchange of gunfire.
As of September 21, the investigation remains ongoing.
One important question is still unanswered: why the confrontation happened near the synagogue.
The SIU’s initial release does not establish a motive or say that the synagogue itself was deliberately targeted. Until investigators release additional evidence, any conclusion about the reason for the shooting would be speculation.
Investigators Want Video and Witnesses
The SIU is asking anyone who witnessed the incident, or who may have cellphone video, surveillance footage or photographs, to contact investigators.
Forensic investigators will examine physical evidence while investigators work to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the gunfire.
More information could emerge as the investigation continues, including what brought the armed man and police into contact and the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting.
For now, what is confirmed is that two people were shot, including a police officer who remains critically injured, and Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating how the incident unfolded.
Source
Ontario Special Investigations Unit
September 21, 2026
https://www.siu.on.ca/en/news_template.php?nrid=11481