Toronto police and RCMP are investigating after a shooting outside the U.S. consulate in the city’s downtown core, calling it a national security incident.
Police said its officers responded to a call for a shooting at the consulate at 5:29 a.m.
When officers arrived on scene, they found evidence of gunfire, shell casings, and damage to the building. No one was injured.
Streets around the consulate, which is located at 360 University Ave. near Queen Street West, are closed while police investigate.
Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said in a news conference there was evidence a white Honda CR-V was seen travelling westbound on Dundas Street then turned south onto University Avenue before stopping in front of the consulate.
“Two individuals emerged from the vehicle, discharged what appears to be a handgun at the front of the building and then got back into their vehicle and drove southbound,” he said.
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He added multiple shots were fired.
Barredo said Toronto police are working with law enforcement partners in the Greater Toronto Area and federally, including the RCMP.
Chris Leather, RCMP Chief Superintendant for Criminal Operations in Ontario, told reporters they have increased security around embassies and consulate buildings in both Toronto and Ottawa. He said the RCMP’s integrated national security enforcement team has been engaged.
“Well it’s definitely a national security incident because we had the U.S. consulate after all struck by gunfire. Whether it’s a terrorist event or not, that’ll be subject to the investigation that will be undertaken in the coming days and weeks,” Leather said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government is coordinating with the RCMP regarding the shooting.
“We’ll use the full weight of resources and ensure that the perpetrators feel the full weight of justice,” Carney told reporters.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the attack.
“Conservatives condemn unequivocally the gun attack on the American consulate,” Poilievre said. “This is unacceptable, it is unacceptable to use political violence of any kind and we are pleased that thus far there are no reports of anyone being injured.”
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Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow addressed the shooting on Tuesday.
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“Police are investigating and have my full support finding the people responsible and bringing them to justice,” she said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford condemned the shooting at the U.S. consulate, saying he had a meeting planned with Consul General Baxter Hunt that had to be cancelled as a result.
“I can reassure the Consul General and our U.S. friends and allies that we’re going to throw everything at this,” Ford told reporters. “I have all the confidence that they’re (police) going to catch these criminals.”
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‘Absolutely unacceptable’: Ford condemns shooting of Toronto synagogues, US consulate
Washington has warned Americans abroad, and especially in the Middle East, to exercise “increased caution” as it wages war against Iran with Israel.
Iran has launched retaliatory strikes across the Gulf and has targeted U.S. embassies in the region.
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On Sunday, Norwegian police were called to the U.S. Embassy in Oslo after reports of an explosion.
Officers received reports of a “loud bang” or explosion around 1 a.m., Oslo police said in a news release. No injuries were reported.
The explosion was caused by some sort of incendiary device, Oslo police representative Frode Larsen said during a news conference Sunday. Investigators believe the embassy was the target and are searching for suspects.
Local media reported minor damage to an entrance of the embassy, and people nearby said the street was blanketed in thick smoke following the blast.
In Toronto, police did not have suspect information Tuesday morning.
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The shooting at the Consulate comes just days after three synagogues in the Toronto area also saw guns fired at the buildings.
During Tuesday’s news conference, Toronto police did not say if there was a connection between the Consulate and synagogue shootings at this point.
“We definitely will be looking at … any possible connections,” said Barredo. “It is far too early in this investigation, but we do not look at them in isolation. We look at them collectively and if and how there is something that is found in that to support that and that will obviously colour and direct how the investigation unfolds.
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Although no connection being made at this time, Carney called the synagogue shootings “extremely concerning.”
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“We convened the Incident Response Group on the weekend because of the situation in Iran, but also to ensure that all resources of the federal government are cooperating with local police and provincial police obviously with respect to the synagogues,” Carney said.
Chow condemned the recent shootings at the various buildings in an earlier news conference.
“This cannot stand,” she told reporters. “As we have seen too many times, antisemetic incidents spike when international tensions rise. It is never acceptable to target the Jewish community.”
Ford echoed Chow’s statements, saying action must be taken.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable what we’ve been seeing over the last week, with the shootings at synagogues, Jewish synagogues across the city and the 905,” Ford said. “We’re going to again throw every resource to hold these people to account.”
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Police have increased their presence around synagogues since the shootings.
Leather added that in addition to American consulates, police have increased their security presence around Israeli consulates in Toronto and Ottawa as well.
“I think it’s fairly obvious based on the incidents that have occurred here in Toronto and elsewhere that these consulates deserve a heightened amount of vigilance and security at this time in the hopes that we can bring the temperature down in the coming days and weeks,” Leather said.
An investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information, including any evidence such as dash cam or video footage that could be connected to the incident, is asked to contact police.
— with files from The Associated Press