Canadian authorities are investigating whether the killing of a Toronto police officer while executing search warrants related to a shooting at the city's US consulate is linked to a broader series of global terror attacks.
Officer Killed in Dawn Raid
Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, a member of the emergency taskforce, was killed on Thursday during a dawn search of an apartment building in the west of the city. Pinizzotto was a father of two and an avid hockey player and youth coach.
Toronto police chief Myron Demkiw said the search “concerned a number of shootings” including one targeting the US consulate in Toronto in March. No one was injured in that incident, and the suspected shooters fled in a white vehicle.
Possible Links to ‘Shooters for Hire’ Network
A police source said the investigation is looking at whether the perpetrators were part of a broader, city-wide network of “shooters for hire” that has targeted buildings owned by a large waste management company and private homes. In recent years, Toronto and surrounding communities have been rocked by a series of escalating attacks on tow truck companies, including high-profile murders and allegations of police corruption. Investigators suspect the shooters could have ties to some of these attacks.
Global Terror Network Probe
The source said investigators are also looking at the possibility that the case is linked to a global terror network that has threatened retribution for US attacks on Iran. In May, US authorities charged Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, an Iraqi national, with terrorism. He is alleged to be the architect of nearly 20 attacks in Europe. US court documents suggest he has also claimed responsibility for the Toronto consulate shooting. In a criminal complaint, the FBI alleged that in a recorded telephone call al-Saadi suggested that “our people” were behind the attack.
The RCMP, Canada’s federal police force, did not respond to questions about a possible connection. RCMP officers were present during the morning search of the Toronto apartment complex, according to local media. US prosecutors have said al-Saadi is behind a previously unknown group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, which is alleged to work with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to attack targets linked to the US and Israel.
Suspects Charged and Sought
Police have charged 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett with the first-degree murder of Pinizzotto. Officers are still searching for 19-year-old Zara Jabbi, warning he was likely to still be armed. Police received approval from a judge to release a photo of Jabbi while he was a minor until 15 June.
Ontario’s special investigations unit, which is called in when civilians are seriously injured or killed by police, is investigating the shooting. Its spokesperson Monica Hudon said four other people were in the apartment unit at the time when an “exchange of gunfire” broke out.
Tributes Pour In
Pinizzotto was remembered as a dedicated officer and community figure. “He spent 18 years keeping people safe,” said Oakville mayor Rob Burton. “He spent a lifetime giving back.” Politicians including Toronto mayor Olivia Chow and Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney also paid tribute. Ontario premier Doug Ford called the shooting and the killing of another officer earlier in the week “a sobering reminder of the sacrifices and risks faced by police officers.”
