Toronto police are investigating after two locations of a Jewish-owned bakery chain were damaged in the city early Sunday morning, in incidents that have been referred to the force's hate crime unit. One of the bakeries was hit by gunfire and another had a window smashed, though no injuries were reported at either site, according to police.
According to officers, one of the bakeries, near Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue West, was struck by gunfire, while a second location, near Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West, had a window smashed. Both incidents happened in the early hours of Sunday and targeted outlets of the same Jewish-owned chain in separate parts of the city.
Duty Inspector Scott Bradbury of the Toronto Police Service said the force's hate crime unit and its guns and gangs unit are both now investigating what happened. He said police recognized that the attacks were concerning for the people who work and live in the affected areas, and particularly for members of the Jewish community.
Bradbury said investigators had not yet determined whether the two incidents were connected, leaving open the question of whether the same people were responsible for both the shooting and the smashed window. He said the service had made all of its resources available in order to thoroughly investigate the matter.
No injuries were reported at either bakery, police said, with the damage limited to the buildings themselves. The targeted businesses are part of a well-known chain, and the locations that were hit are gathering spots where families and members of the community regularly come together, especially on weekend mornings.
Noah Shaq, the chief executive of the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said such incidents were happening with growing frequency. He described the targeted area as a hot spot, particularly on a Sunday morning, where families come together, and called the bakeries one of a number of institutions where people across the city gather to enjoy the best of what makes them Torontonians and Canadians.
Police asked anyone with information about either incident to come forward, urging witnesses to contact investigators directly or to leave an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers. The investigation was continuing on Sunday as officers worked to identify those responsible and to establish a motive for the attacks on the two bakeries.