Toronto Officer Killed During Tactical Raid Linked to Consulate Shooting

A search warrant execution at an apartment building in north Toronto early Thursday turned into a shootout, leaving a police officer dead, a suspect injured, and another individual fleeing, authorities said.

The confrontation began around 5:45 a.m. when tactical officers arrived to serve the warrant. Police reported that someone inside the building opened fire, prompting officers to return fire.

Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, and a suspect were shot and taken to hospital, where the officer later died. Police identified the suspect as 19‑year‑old Nicholas Bennett of Toronto, who now faces a first‑degree murder charge.

Another 19‑year‑old, Zara Jabbi, escaped the raid and is believed to be armed and still at large, Police Chief Myron Demkiw told reporters outside the hospital.

“No words can capture the impact on Marc’s family, who expected him to come home today,” Chief Demkiw said, noting Pinizzotto had spent the last five years of his 18‑year career with the Emergency Task Force, a tactical unit.

The task force has been conducting multiple raids connected to earlier shootings, including the March attack on the U.S. consulate. In that incident, two men exited a white Honda CR‑V near the consulate at about 4:30 a.m. and fired a handgun at the building. No one was injured.

“There’s a very heavy sorrow in our community right now,” Chief Demkiw added.

Mayor Olivia Chow, speaking alongside the chief, said there were “no words that can ease the pain of the family, the loved ones, and the colleagues across the service.”

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra offered condolences during a speech at a major Canada‑U.S. relations conference in Toronto.

The building where the officer was shot is located in a neighborhood long affected by gun violence; last summer, an 8‑year‑old boy was killed by a stray bullet that entered his bedroom from a nearby courtyard.

The officer’s death marks Toronto’s 13th homicide of 2026.

Matina Stevis‑Gridneff and Ian Austen contributed reporting from Toronto.

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