Gunfire Hits Second Jewish-Owned Bakery Location in Weekend Attack; Carney and Ford Condemn

Toronto police are investigating two overnight attacks on separate locations of Kiva’s Bagel Bar, a Jewish-owned bakery chain, after gunfire damaged one storefront and a window was shattered at another.

The first incident occurred at approximately 11:15 p.m. Saturday near Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West. Police say a dark-coloured SUV stopped outside the bakery before its front glass shattered. The vehicle then fled southbound on Carpenter Road. Investigators found no evidence that a firearm had been used at that location.

About an hour later, a dark-coloured SUV pulled up outside the Kiva’s location near Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue West. Police say someone inside the vehicle discharged a firearm, striking the bakery’s front windows. Both businesses were closed at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Investigators believe the same vehicle may have been involved in both incidents and have released an image of the SUV as they work to identify those responsible. Toronto’s Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force is leading the investigation with support from the Hate Crime Unit and officers from the affected divisions. Police have not yet announced any arrests or confirmed a motive. Toronto police are asking witnesses and anyone with security or dashboard-camera footage to contact investigators.

Ward 8 councillor Mike Colle, whose Eglinton–Lawrence ward includes the St. Clair location, described the pattern as “incredibly frightening” during a news conference outside the bakery.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “appalled” by the targeting of the two businesses, describing Kiva’s as a fixture of Toronto’s Jewish community.

“Jewish Canadians should be able to live, work, and worship free from fear, intimidation, and hate,” Carney wrote, adding that the federal government remains committed to confronting antisemitism.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was “totally disgusted” by the attacks and called for those responsible to be identified, prosecuted and punished. Mayor Olivia Chow also condemned the incidents as “vile and unacceptable,” saying the city would continue investing in community safety and efforts to confront hate. Global News reported the condemnations Monday.

The attacks follow several incidents involving gunfire directed at synagogues and other Jewish institutions in Toronto earlier this year. Police have previously linked some shootings against synagogues and the United States Consulate to suspected gun-for-hire networks, although investigators have made no such connection in the Kiva’s cases. Reuters reported Monday that the consulate was struck by gunfire again, with no injuries reported.

The timing also places the attacks directly inside Toronto’s developing mayoral debate over policing and public safety. Challenger Brad Bradford pledged last week to hire 1,000 additional officers during his first term, arguing that the city’s existing five-year hiring plan hasn’t kept pace with population growth. Chow has defended her administration’s plan, which is expected to add approximately 720 officers.

The bakery attacks will increase pressure on the Toronto Police Services Board and City Hall to demonstrate that the city’s hate-crime response and community-security programs can keep pace with an increasingly persistent threat.