TORONTO — A 19-year-old Whitby man is facing a hate-motivated threat charge after Durham Regional Police say he posted messages on an online board threatening to carry out a shooting at a synagogue in Durham Region.The Hate Crime Unit received the information Friday from an external law enforcement partner, police said in a Monday release, and investigators identified the user before executing a search warrant Saturday at a Whitby residence. Alexander Parfitt, 19, of Whitby was found inside and taken into custody without incident. He is charged with threats motivated by hate and was held for a bail hearing. The allegations have not been proven in court.Durham police said they have increased patrols around Jewish places of worship and community gathering locations across the region for the High Holidays, with uniform officers keeping a visible presence so congregants can observe the period without concern. The extra coverage is precautionary, the service said, and officers will keep working with community partners through the holiday period..Officer shot outside Belleville synagogue on Yom Kippur.Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy said she had been briefed by Durham police and remains in direct contact with them and with leadership at Whitby’s synagogue. “I know this news will cause fear and anxiety for Whitby’s Jewish community,” Roy said. “To our Jewish friends and neighbours, I want to say clearly: you are not alone. Your community stands with you always. Every resident must be able to gather, worship, and practice their faith safely and without fear. A threat against a place of worship is a threat against the safety and fundamental freedoms of our entire community.” She added there is no place in Whitby for antisemitism, hate, intimidation or violence.The charge was announced the day after an exchange of gunfire outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville on Yom Kippur left Constable Jeff Smith in intensive care and suspect Sean Ward, 29, in life-threatening condition. Police have not said the Whitby and Belleville cases are connected.
