Overview
- Toronto police say a string of shootings across the city, including the March attack on the U.S. Consulate, are part of multilayered guns‑for‑hire operations that recruit youths online to shoot targets and record the attacks for payment.
- Authorities have charged several teenagers in the probe and arrested 19‑year‑old Zara Jabbi, who had been wanted in connection with the consulate shooting, while other suspects face multiple firearms and national‑security linked charges.
- Const. Marc Pinizzotto was shot during police search warrants on June 11 and later died in hospital, the Special Investigations Unit is probing the police‑involved shooting, and a 19‑year‑old detained that day is expected to face a first‑degree murder charge.
- Investigators recovered a 9‑mm and a .45‑calibre handgun that ballistics link to dozens of Greater Toronto Area shootings and say both weapons originated in the United States, prompting cooperation with the RCMP and the FBI.
- Police say they are still trying to identify who is directing and financing the networks and are examining possible foreign connections described in a separate U.S. Justice Department filing while communities and lawmakers weigh security and lawful‑access responses.