The ex-soldier who tried to carry out a mass shooting at a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., last month did not have a firearms licence at the time of the attack, according to a police source with direct knowledge of the investigation.
Sean Ward, a former Canadian Armed Forces corporal, died after a shootout with police outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on the evening of Sept. 20, in what investigators have called a hate-motivated attack against the Jewish community. While worshippers gathered inside for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Mr. Ward ambushed a police officer who was parked outside to provide security, sparking a violent gun battle before he was shot and killed.
