In Toronto, British Columbia, the U.S. Consulate was the target of gunfire early Monday morning, marking the second shooting at the site this year. Police confirmed that no injuries occurred, but a shell casing was discovered and the facade of the building suffered damage.
Deputy Police Chief Frank Barredo revealed that a high-speed chase followed the shooting, lasting an hour without resulting in any arrests. Barredo assured the public that efforts to locate the shooter or shooters would persist. “We will approach this investigation with great seriousness,” Barredo stated at a news conference. “We will bring the people responsible for this to justice.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow denounced the event as a “brazen attack” and issued a warning to those responsible, asserting, “I want to say to the person or persons responsible, we will get you.”
This shooting took place despite increased security measures at the U.S. Consulate. On March 10, an incident occurred where two suspects allegedly fired several shots at the consulate before fleeing in a stolen vehicle. In response, police arrested Sheldon Tracy-Stewart, 18, and Zara Jabbi, 19, charging them with multiple offenses related to the March event. These charges await court proceedings.
Since that initial attack, police presence has been maintained at the consulate. A cruiser with lights on was stationed outside and two security personnel were present inside during the latest incident.
Authorities are delving into the motive behind these attacks. In June, Toronto police suggested that these shootings, including the March incident, might be connected to complex gun-for-hire networks also responsible for targeting synagogues in the city. Recently, two Jewish-owned bakeries were victims of gunfire over the weekend.
Barredo emphasized that investigators are exploring any potential links between the incidents. “Investigators will follow the evidence to where it leads,” he affirmed.
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