Toronto police link dozens of shootings to ‘multilayered’ gun-for-hire network

Young adults and teens are being recruited through apps like Telegram and paid to carry out attacks, officials say

Police investigators in Toronto have said that dozens of shootings – including one at the US consulate in March – are linked to a “multilayered” gun-for-hire network that is also responsible for attacks on synagogues around Canada’s largest city.

Toronto’s police chief, Myron Demkiw, told reporters on Tuesday that young adults and teenagers are being recruited through encrypted messaging apps such as Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp by “bad actors” and paid by the networks to carry out the attacks. Shooters are required to film their attacks in order to get paid.

“Who is paying for this?” he said. “This is what we are trying to determine.”

A veteran Toronto police officer was killed last week during a raid linked to the shootings. Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was shot early on Thursday morning while a team of officers executed a search warrant at an apartment building in the city’s north-west. Police have charged 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett, who remains in hospital, with first-degree murder.

They also announced charges against Jayon Burgher and Sheldon Tracey-Stewart for their roles in some of the shootings. Both are 18 years old. Police are still searching for 19-year-old Zara Jabbi, who they say is linked to the attack at the consulate. No one was injured in the March attack.

Police said two handguns seized during dawn raids last week could be connected to 27 separate shootings across the Greater Toronto Area and investigators believe the seized guns were being passed between multiple shooters.

“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,” said Joe Matthews, the Toronto police service’s chief superintendent.