Third Male Suspect Charged in Toronto-Area Synagogue Shootings

Pedestrians pass by a police car parked outside Shaarei Shomayim synagogue in Toronto, on March 8, 2026, after the synagogue was struck with gunfire overnight. The Canadian Press/Sammy Kogan

A third suspect has been taken into custody and charged in connection with a string of shootings targeting synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area, police say.

The male suspect is the third individual to face charges linked to the shootings that occurred at a Vaughan synagogue on March 6, as well as another incident at a Toronto synagogue the following day, York Regional Police said in an Aug. 10 press release.

York police said they worked in conjunction with the Toronto police to file charges against the suspect.

The first shooting occurred just before midnight on March 6, when police said sounds of gunshots were reported near Clark Avenue West and York Hill Boulevard in Vaughan. Officers responding to the scene found the front doors of the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue had been hit by gunfire. Two people were inside the building at the time but were unharmed.

Toronto police responded to reports of gunfire shortly after midnight on March 7, and found damage to the front entrance of the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue at Bathurst Street and Glencairn Avenue. Police said the damage was “consistent with gunfire” and no one was inside the Toronto synagogue at the time of the shooting.

The two attacks, which transpired within a span of roughly one hour and targeted places of worship, prompted a joint investigation by the York and Toronto police forces.

That investigation led York police to charge two teenage suspects earlier this spring. The ongoing investigation with the Toronto police has now led to the identification of a third suspect in both synagogue shootings.

The male suspect was previously charged in connection with a shooting that occurred on March 25 at a residence in Vaughan and is now also being charged with another shooting that occurred on March 19 in the nearby town of Aurora.

Chris Perreira, 23, of Barrie is facing 15 charges in connection with the synagogue shootings and the shooting in Aurora. He has been charged with four counts of reckless discharge of a firearm, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, two counts of mischief related to religious property, two counts of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and two firearm-related offences.

Police said there are no outstanding suspects related to the synagogue shootings, but the investigation remains ongoing.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the shootings to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

The two synagogue shootings along with a March 2 incident at Temple Emanu-El in Toronto’s North York district took place in the days following the attack on Iran, which was part of a collaborative operation by the United States and Israel. The U.S. consulate in Toronto, and a Toronto-area gym owned by an Iranian-Canadian activist were also targeted.

The synagogue shootings prompted increased police patrols around Jewish communities and places of worship in response to the incidents.

The Jewish community in Canada has faced increased levels of violence after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.