Toronto Police Uncover Gun-for-Hire Networks Linked to US Consulate Attack and Synagogue Shootings

Toronto police have linked multiple shootings, including an attack on the U.S. Consulate in March, to multilayered gun-for-hire networks that have also targeted synagogues in the city.

Police in Canada said Tuesday that the networks recruit young adults through encrypted messaging platforms, paying them to carry out shootings and requiring them to film the attacks for payment. Investigators have recovered several firearms used in the incidents, including two believed to be involved in over 25 shootings in the Toronto area, which originated in the United States.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw stated that the operations have resulted in the death of a veteran officer during a raid connected to the investigation. “Bad actors are leveraging criminal elements in our city to execute these dangerous acts,” he said. “It is evident that those financing these attacks seek to instill fear in our communities, including the Jewish community.”

The investigation involves collaboration between Toronto police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the FBI to identify those funding the attacks. Constables Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was killed in a shooting during a Thursday raid, and 19-year-old suspect Nicholas Bennett remains hospitalized and faces first-degree murder charges. Authorities are also searching for 19-year-old Zara Jabbi, linked to the U.S. Consulate shooting and described as armed and dangerous.

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