Arrests made after gunshots fired at Toronto Jewish girls' school

A 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy are facing multiple charges after allegedly firing gunshots at a Jewish girls' school last weekend.

The shooting took place at Bais Chaya Mushka elementary school, in the area of Dufferin Street and Finch Avenue West, at around 4 a.m. on Oct. 12.

Police said the suspects pulled up to the school and shot from inside of a vehicle, striking a window.

No injuries were reported as a result.

A number of officials spoke out following the incident, with Premier Doug ford calling it “unacceptable” and a “disgusting act of antisemitism.” Mayor Olivia Chow echoed those sentiments, saying “Jewish families and the Jewish community should not be made to fear for their safety.” 

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"This is the second incident at the school and it occurred on Yom Kippur, a sacred day for the Jewish community, making this even more devastating," Toronto Police Service’s Dept. Chief Robert Johnson told reporters in an update on Friday.

“The safety of our communities remains our top priority, particularly as global tensions rise and the Jewish community observes the High Holidays.”

The investigation into the shooting was led by the Toronto Police Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force with support from the Hate Crime Unit.

In a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, TPS Chief Myron Demkiw said there will still be police presence in communites that were impacted by recent events.

Helder Antonio De Ameida, 20, and a 17-year-old boy are both charged with multiple offences, including unauthorized possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a prohibited device.

The 17 year old, whose identity is protected under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, faces additional charges, including two counts of failure to comply with a release order. The charges have not been tested in court.

“While I can’t share the details on the motivation behind this incident, due to the ongoing investigation, we are thoroughly exploring why this incident occurred and any connections to the previous shooting that occurred at the same school on May the 25th of this year,” Johnson said.

In May, surveillance footage caught a dark-coloured vehicle pulling up in front of the school at around 4:50 a.m. Two suspects in dark clothing got out before police said they fired at the school. Police could not say at this time if the two incidents are connected.

At the Toronto Police Services Board meeting earlier this month, officers noted there has been a 42.6 per cent increase in reported hate crimes compared to this same time last year. Incidents against the Jewish community have seen the greatest increase, police noted, up by 74.5 per cent.

There has also been a 40 per cent increase in anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate crimes compared to 2023.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Police ask anyone with information to contact investigators at 416-808-2510 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.  

With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman