Road closures are in place in Toronto’s downtown core after police say someone discharged a firearm at the U.S. Consulate early Tuesday morning.

Investigators say shots were fired at the building, located near University Avenue and Queen Street West, at around 5:30 a.m.

No injuries have been reported and police have not provided any information on possible suspects.

Southbound University Avenue is closed between Queen and Dundas streets for the police investigation.

U.S. Consulate, Toronto Aerial view of the scene outside the U.S. Consulate in downtown Toronto, Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

CTV safety analyst and former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis said while the U.S. Consulate would have some security, the building does not have nearly the same level of protection as the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa.

“It’s certainly a protected building but not highly. You don’t see armed people standing outside that would have reinforced glass and a whole pile of security mechanisms,” he told CP24’s Courtney Heels on Tuesday morning.

“It is not like the embassy in Ottawa, which really has Mounties positioned outside it all the time. You don’t see that at the consulate.”

He added that there are likely many cameras looking out to the street and some staff that would be monitoring those cameras 24 hours a day.

“During the day when people actually can come and go, there would be a higher level of security, but not at 5:30 in the morning,” Lewis noted.

‘They are making an obvious statement’

As for the investigation, he said officers will carry out the standard investigative work, including processing evidence, searching for video surveillance footage, and canvassing for witnesses.

“For the investigators, it is just another day,” he said. “All of that is standard fare, whether this investigation involved the consulate or not. It certainly raises international attention, undoubtedly related to what is going on in the Middle East right now and there is some anti- U.S. sentiments of some sort.”

Lewis added that the perpetrator likely knew they were not putting any lives in danger by deciding to shoot at the building so early in the morning.

“They knew they weren’t going to jeopardize lives,” he said.

“But they are making an obvious statement here and investigators will be trying to find out who made that statement.”