Police charge 53-year old neighbour accused of plotting attacks on children and local mosque

A 53-year-old Newmarket man faces charges after police accused him of making threats against a Muslim in his neighbourhood and a mosque, according to York Regional Police.

According to the Police, they are treating the alleged incidents as hate-motivated crimes.

In a statement read by Omar Khamissa, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims at a conference held on Monday, from the alleged target — a neighbour of the accused man, Don Cameron — who wished to remain anonymous.

He stated reading from the statement,“My family and our neighbourhood continue to live in fear given the current situation,”

“The individual who had just been charged with two counts of uttering threats, Don Cameron, is my neighbour. Although Don appeared friendly over the past 14 years, we’re informed by York Regional Police that he (allegedly) shared with multiple people close to him, a plan to kill my children and me. And to blow up the local mosque … including tampering with the natural gas lines.”

The alleged target also asked for all three levels of government to “work together, to address Islamophobia with a clear strategy,” and thanked York Regional Police, among others, “for their support.”

“I can not fully express the shock my family and I felt when we learned the details from the authorities last week,” said Khamissa, reading from the statement.

“The thought that someone living so close to us within our own community was (allegedly) consuming and sharing far-right anti-Muslim content and beliefs while planning violent attacks is deeply disturbing and unsettling.”

Cameron is charged with two counts of uttering threats.

The investigation is ongoing.