Gun-for-hire network behind Toronto synagogue and U.S. consulate shootings, police say

Toronto police linked multiple shootings at synagogues and the U.S. consulate to a gun-for-hire network. Three people face charges; a fourth suspect remains at large.

Toronto shootings at synagogues and U.S. consulate traced to hired-gunmen network

A gun-for-hire network is responsible for a series of shootings targeting synagogues, the U.S. consulate and other buildings across Toronto, Police Chief Myron Demkiw said Tuesday. As theglobeandmail.com reported, officers recovered two handguns — a nine-millimetre linked to six shootings and a .45-calibre linked to 21 — both originating from the United States.

"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," Chief Demkiw said at a news conference.

Toronto police worked alongside the RCMP and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in their probe. The investigation led to five warrants executed in Toronto on June 11, one of which resulted in the death of Constable Marc Pinizzotto.

Three accused, one suspect still sought

Police expect to charge 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett with first-degree murder in connection with Constable Pinizzotto's death. Court documents filed Thursday show Bennett also faces multiple charges related to two additional shooting incidents in March, including discharging a firearm at a location while reckless as to whether others were present. He remains in hospital with multiple gunshot wounds sustained during the police raid.

Bennett is also expected to face six charges connected to a March 25 shooting near a high-rise complex at Markham Road and Eglinton Avenue, among them knowing possession of an illegal firearm without a licence.

Sheldon Tracey-Stewart, 18, was arrested for allegedly shooting at the U.S. consulate and faces 11 charges, including vehicle theft, illegal firearm possession and discharging a firearm. A third accused, Jayon Burgher, 18, was arrested by Halton Regional Police on April 15 for allegedly discharging a firearm at an Oakville residence on March 29. He faces six charges including careless use of a firearm and discharging a firearm with intent.

Toronto police subsequently charged Burgher, while he was already in custody, for discharging a firearm at a Toronto business on March 26 and for allegedly working together with Bennett during that incident. Burgher faces seven further charges, including possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order and possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm.

Police said they are still searching for a fourth suspect, 19-year-old Zara Jabbi, in connection with the consulate shooting.

Encrypted apps, shared firearms, young recruits

Chief Superintendent Joe Matthews, who oversees detective operations, said the hired shooters communicate via encrypted platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal. Shooters are required to record and send video evidence of their attacks in order to receive payment.

"It seems there are multiple networks, multilayered, that the actual actors that are committing the violence are younger in age," Matthews said, adding that all accused in this case are adults.

Matthews said firearms are routinely shared within the networks, meaning police do not believe the same individual pulled the trigger in each incident. Multiple networks are recruiting young adults and operating beyond Toronto, he added, though the full scope of the operations remains unknown to police.

The Globe and Mail previously reported that a source with knowledge of the investigation said the network is also responsible for shooting buildings belonging to Canadian waste company GFL Environmental, as well as private residences and tow-truck companies. Chief Demkiw declined to comment on the GFL case Tuesday, saying that investigation is ongoing.

U.S. terrorism link and alleged Iranian connection

American prosecutors and the FBI have separately linked the consulate shooting — which caused no injuries — to an alleged Iraqi terrorist arrested in Turkey in May. The accused, 32-year-old Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national, was charged in the United States and remains in U.S. custody.

U.S. authorities allege Al-Saadi directed 18 small-scale attacks and arsons in Europe and claimed responsibility for two attacks in Canada, including the consulate shooting, since early March — apparently in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran. Prosecutors allege he established an online organization known as HAYI (Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya) and worked with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to pay individuals in foreign cities to attack Jewish and American targets.

Chief Demkiw declined to comment on the U.S. terrorism investigation on Tuesday, noting it is still active.

Broader context of targeted antisemitic incidents

Toronto is among several Canadian cities that have reported an increase in alleged hate crimes and extremist violence since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which was followed by Israel's military campaign in Gaza. In Toronto, those incidents have included shootings targeting Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)