Toronto gun-for-hire network: 3 arrests tied to consulate, synagogue shootings

Toronto police link multiple shootings — including at the U.S. Consulate and synagogues — to a network recruiting young people for gun crimes. Three suspects arrested.

Toronto police expose gun-for-hire network behind consulate and synagogue shootings

Three people have been arrested in connection with a series of shootings across the Toronto area, including an attack on the U.S. Consulate and incidents targeting Jewish schools and synagogues, cbc.ca reported Tuesday. Police say the incidents are part of a coordinated network that recruits young people to carry out gun crimes for pay.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw and Chief Superintendent Joe Matthews addressed reporters Tuesday morning, less than a week after officers executed search warrants linked to multiple shootings across the city. Investigators recovered two firearms during those raids: a 9-mm handgun believed connected to at least six shooting incidents, and a .45-calibre firearm tied to at least 21 others.

"Through encrypted messaging apps, young people are hired to carry out attacks against various targets," Demkiw said. "In order to get paid, they're required to film their attacks. Who's paying for this? This is what we are trying to determine."

Targets in the investigations include the U.S. Consulate, Jewish schools, synagogues, and GFL Environmental waste management facilities. Demkiw said investigators believe multiple gun-for-hire networks are operating in the city, and that firearms are being "swapped around" within those networks and used across different shootings.

"Bad actors are using criminal elements in our city to carry out these dangerous incidents, and it is clear that some of the people hiring these criminals want to create a sense of fear in our communities, including in the Jewish community," Demkiw said.

Three arrested, one officer dead

Nicholas Bennett was arrested Thursday and faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Constable Marc Pinizzotto, who was shot during a raid that same day. Bennett is also allegedly connected to a shooting at a Scarborough Village residence on March 25 and at a jiu-jitsu studio near Islington Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard on March 26. He remains in hospital in critical condition, according to SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette.

Jayon Burgher, 18, of Barrie, was arrested by Halton police on April 14 in connection with the jiu-jitsu studio shooting.

A third suspect, Sheldon Tracey-Stewart, had previously been arrested for his alleged involvement in the March 10 shooting at the U.S. Consulate. No one was injured in that incident, but the RCMP had classified it as a "national security incident." The consulate attack has since been linked to a U.S. Department of Justice criminal complaint filed in April 2026 related to an FBI terrorism arrest.

A fourth suspect, Zara Jabbi, 19, remains at large. Police identified him last week as an outstanding suspect in the broader investigation.

Young recruits, complex networks

Matthews noted an "overlap" between these investigations and separate shootings targeting tow trucks and waste management companies, without elaborating further. "These are very, very complex investigations," he said.

Toronto lawyer and former Special Investigations Unit director Ian Scott told cbc.ca the pattern resembles a layered criminal structure. "It's a bit of a domino process, which just requires working your way up what could be a rather elaborate food chain," Scott said. He added the incidents are "without a doubt having a major impact upon public safety in the community."

Those carrying out the attacks are likely not receiving significant payment, Scott suggested. Matthews acknowledged the age profile of those involved: "They're all adults that have committed these offences. But it's not lost on us that younger people are being recruited."

Toronto police are conducting the investigations alongside the RCMP and FBI. Demkiw confirmed further arrests and charges are expected as the investigations continue.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)