TORONTO: A sophisticated criminal network is recruiting and hiring youth via encrypted messaging apps to carry out a string of high-profile shootings targeting Jewish schools, synagogues, and the U.S. Consulate, Toronto Police revealed today. In a joint press conference, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw and officials from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) exposed the shocking operational methods of the syndicate.
According to Chief Demkiw, the criminal organizers coordinate the attacks remotely through secure, encrypted platforms. The hired youth are required to film video footage of the shootings as “proof of execution” before any financial payments are transferred to them. Noting an identical modus operandi across multiple recent incidents in the city, Toronto authorities have intensified their investigation, collaborating closely with the RCMP and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to trace the financial masterminds funding these coordinated attacks.
The RCMP disclosed that the suspects operated a weapon-sharing system, passing the same firearms among different shooters to execute hits across various sectors of the city. During a targeted raid in North York last week, law enforcement seized a 9mm handgun and a .45-caliber handgun, both confirmed to have been smuggled into Canada from the United States.
Subsequent ballistic analysis delivered startling results: the 9mm handgun was linked to at least six separate shootings within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), while the .45-caliber weapon was used in at least 21 distinct shooting incidents. Forensics also confirmed that these exact weapons were deployed during the targeted shooting at the U.S. Consulate on March 10.
Meanwhile, the investigation took a tragic turn last week during the execution of a search warrant. A suspect opened fire on entering officers, fatally wounding Constable Mark Pinisotto. The suspect, who sustained injuries during the ensuing confrontation, remains under police guard at a local hospital. Chief Myron Demkiw confirmed that the individual in custody will be formally charged with first-degree murder, alongside a series of other severe criminal offenses.
