Arrests Made in North York Jewish School Shooting

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These cowardly cowards may have thought they could shoot up an elementary school for Jewish girls and flee under cover of darkness.

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They thought wrong.

Less than a week after this frightening alleged crime, Toronto Police arrested two people in the Yom Kippur shooting in North York.

Deputy Police Chief Robert Johnson said in a live news conference that one adult and one juvenile are in custody.

“I am pleased to announce the arrest of two individuals in connection with the incident that occurred at Bais Chaya Mushka Primary School on Saturday, October 12,” Johnson said. “Both men face multiple charges, including unauthorized possession of a loaded firearm – a Glock pistol modified to become fully automatic. While I cannot share details about the motivation behind this incident due to the ongoing investigation, we are thoroughly exploring why these two individuals (allegedly) committed these crimes and any connections to the previous shooting incident at this school on May 25, 2024 .”

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The adult, 20 years old Helder Antonio De Ameida, 20, of Toronto, was arrested Thursday and charged with discharge of a restricted and prohibited firearm, two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of a prohibited and restricted firearm loaded, two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and two counts of possession of a prohibited device.

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The 17-year-old, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, faces many of the same charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm, but also two counts of failing to comply with a release order.

Both were in court on Friday. Bail status is not yet known. The charges against both have not been tested in court.

This is a very important arrest that takes place during the festive season of the Jewish faith and at a time when so many members of the community feel unsafe and abandoned. The relationship between the Jewish community and the city became strained when Mayor Olivia Chow failed to show up for the one-year anniversary celebration on October 7th. Hamas attack in Israel – just days before the shooting.

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Chow apologized, but just as she didn’t show up for the Walk for Israel or Israel’s Independence Day flag-raising, the damage was done and the message was sent. Toronto was beginning to look like a place where it was open season on Jews. Shortly before this shooting, there was a video of a man talking about Hitler while denouncing a Jew. This case is still under investigation.

The mayor has failed Toronto’s Jews since October 7, but has promised to do better in the future. None of this anti-Semitism is right and it is not sustainable. Therefore, this arrest was vital.

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Chief Myron Demkiw, who spoke out about the disturbing rise in anti-Semitic crimes in Toronto last year, understands this better than anyone.

“The safety and well-being of our communities remains our highest priority. Our increased police presence across the city will continue as long as necessary, demonstrating our commitment to keeping all neighborhoods safe. As I said before, our investigations are ongoing and charges could be brought at any time – whether immediately after the incident or in the days and weeks following,” said Demkiw of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). conference in Boston. “I want to thank our service members who have worked tirelessly since this incident to identify those responsible. A special thank you to our Integrated Guns and Gangs Task Force, Hate Crimes Unit, Forensic Identification Services and our partners at the Forensic Science Center for their dedication to the safety of our communities.”

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This was quick police detective work who conducted a dual investigation with the Toronto Police Integrated Guns and Gangs Unit and the Hate Crimes Squad. Johnson said using every tool available — from tips from the public to video footage and forensic analysis — they were able to make the arrests.

“This makes it clear that such violent actions will not be tolerated,” said Councilor Brad Bradford.

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THEofficers arrived at the scene in Chesswood after 4am and found a broken window. Evidence of gunshots was found, but there were no reports of injuries.

This is still a very active investigation.

Arrests in second Bais Chaya Mushka shooting. Maybe arrests in the first one will be next?

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