Two handguns seized during a series of dawn raids in Toronto last week have been linked to 27 separate shootings across the Greater Toronto Area, police said Tuesday.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said investigators believe the firearms were passed between different shooters, meaning the pool of suspects is larger than two people. One of the guns has been connected to six shootings and the other to 21, according to police.
What we are dealing with in this case and in other unrelated incidents, including shootings at synagogues in Jewish schools, is a recurring and similar modus operandi: that is criminals for hire
"Through encrypted messaging apps, young people are hired to carry out attacks against various targets. And in order to get paid, they're required to film their attacks," Demkiw told reporters.
Investigators said the apps being used include Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp.
The firearms were seized on June 11 during raids that included a search warrant at 15 Martha Eaton Way, an apartment building near Trethewey and Black Creek drives, executed at about 5:40 a.m.
Const. Marc Pinizzotto, a 43-year-old emergency task force member, was shot during that raid and later died. Nicholas Bennett, 19, is in hospital and will face a first-degree murder charge in connection with the officer's death, police said.
Chief Supt. Joe Matthews said officers have connected a series of shootings across the city. On March 25, police responded to shots fired at a building in Scarborough, and the next day to a similar incident in Etobicoke. Both are believed to involve the same individuals behind the March shooting at the U.S. Consulate on University Avenue.
"While we've been able to connect these firearms to numerous instances, we are still working to identify not only the individuals responsible for pulling the triggers but also those who may have directed or organized these acts of violence," Matthews said.
U.S. prosecutors have linked the consulate shooting to an alleged international campaign by Iranian-backed groups against targets in Europe and North America. An Iraqi national, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, was arrested in the U.S. and charged with terrorism offences after the Toronto shooting. Prosecutors alleged he and others "planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility" for at least 18 attacks across Europe and two in Canada, according to the unsealed criminal complaint.
Demkiw said Toronto police are keeping an open mind about who is behind the attacks.
"Who is paying for this? This is what we are trying to determine, including by working with our RCMP and FBI colleagues," he said. "I know there's been a lot of reporting about criminal groups and foreign actors. But what I can tell you is that we are still working actively to investigate who is responsible for orchestrating these criminal acts."
The chief said the shootings appear intended to frighten residents, including members of the Jewish community.
"What we know is that 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 in the Jewish community."}, {
