Toronto police announced Tuesday that they have connected several shootings in the city — including a March attack on the U.S. Consulate — to what they describe as “multilayered” gun-for-hire networks. Those same networks are also believed to be behind shootings targeting synagogues in the city.
At a news conference, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw explained that young adults are being recruited through encrypted messaging platforms and paid to carry out the attacks. To receive payment, the shooters are required to record the incidents on video. Investigators have recovered several of the weapons used in the attacks.
“What we know is bad actors are using criminal elements in our city to carry out these dangerous incidents,” Demkiw said. “It is clear that some of the people hiring these criminals want to create a sense of fear in our communities, including the Jewish community.”
A veteran Toronto police officer lost his life last week during a search operation connected to the investigation. Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was shot Thursday when officers executed a search warrant at an apartment building in the northwestern part of the city. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
A 19-year-old suspect, Nicholas Bennett, was shot by police during the incident and remains hospitalized. He is expected to face a charge of first-degree murder.
Authorities are also actively searching for a second suspect, 19-year-old Zara Jabbi, who is wanted in connection with the U.S. Consulate shooting. Police consider Jabbi to be armed and dangerous.
Demkiw said Toronto police are working alongside the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the FBI to identify who is funding the attacks. Two firearms recovered during the investigation — believed to be connected to more than 25 shootings across the Toronto area — were traced back to the United States. Ballistics testing on those weapons is still ongoing.
