A teenager has been sentenced to two years in a custodial facility after pleading guilty to shooting at two synagogues in Vaughan and Toronto earlier this year.
York Regional Police Chief Paulo Da Silva said the 18-year-old pleaded guilty earlier this month to several offences, including discharging a firearm at Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto and Shaarei Shomyim on March 6.
No injuries were reported, but the two synagogues suffered gunfire damage. The shootings were separated by only 20 minutes.
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Da Silva said after his two years in a custodial facility, the teen will then face one year of community supervision.
The teen was also handed a two-year firearms prohibition and ordered to provide a DNA sample.
Da Silva said the punishment reflects the maximum custodial sentence available under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“This significant sentence recognizes the fear, trauma, and harm these acts of violence caused to the Jewish communities in York Region and Toronto and in surrounding areas,” the chief said in a statement, thanking his investigators as well as those of the Toronto police for working on the case.
“Hate and violence have no place in our community,” Da Silva said.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw cited the collaboration between his service and York Regional Police “in bringing this individual to justice.”
“This case demonstrates the importance of strong collaboration between law enforcement partners and community as we respond to an increasingly complex and evolving threat environment,” Demkiw said in a statement.
“We will continue to strengthen our response to violent extremism and hate crimes.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto welcomed the sentencing, saying in a joint statement this week that it is an “important step toward justice for Jewish families across the Greater Toronto Area.”
“These were not just buildings that came under fire. They were places where families gather, children learn, and generations of Jewish Canadians have come together to practice their faith. As the judge recognized, these coordinated attacks on Jewish institutions left lasting fear across an entire community.”
