Former Canadian soldier who spread COVID conspiracies killed after police shootout at Ontario synagogue

Sean Ward, a 29-year-old former corporal of the Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was discharged in June 2022 after refusing a COVID-19 vaccine, according to military sources. On Sunday around 7 p.m., he arrived near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, carrying a shotgun while worshippers observed Yom Kippur. Police positioned an unmarked vehicle nearby and engaged him; the ensuing shootout wounded Ward and a police officer, and Ward died at a hospital the following night.

Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said police averted a potential massacre, though officials have not stated if the synagogue was his intended target. The shooter had previously voiced antisemitic COVID-19 conspiracy theories, a meme spread by extremist groups. The event adds to a pattern of heightened threats against Jewish institutions in Canada since the 2023 Israel-Hamas war and recent Iran-U.S. conflict, prompting calls for increased security measures.