Canada: 5.5 Years in Prison for Young Man Who Fired at Montreal Yeshiva

In depth

A court in Montreal, Canada, sentenced a 23-year-old man who admitted to firing at the "Merkaz HaTorah" yeshiva in the city in November 2023 to five and a half years in prison. The shooting was carried out in the early morning hours, when the building was empty of people. Three bullet holes and four cartridges were found at the scene.

The sentence was handed down about a month after the October 7 attack. The prosecution stated that it failed to prove the act was carried out with an antisemitic motive.

The judge said: "Anyone who attacks a school in such a way is a coward." The B'nai Brith organization in Canada welcomed the sentence and warned against the escalation of violence against the Jewish community.