Canadian Police are investigating a “national security incident” after multiple shots were fired at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
At least one handgun was discharged multiple times at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, Canada, around 0430 ET. Canadian police said in a press conference updating on progress with their investigation on Tuesday morning that they were seeking more information about two men who drove up to the consulate in a white Honda CRV and got out of the vehicle before shooting at the building.
A police spokesman said “two individuals emerged and discharged what appeared to be a handgun… there was a handgun that was discharged, and both individuals were involved in that discharge… multiple shots fired, more than one”. They appealed for anyone who may have been driving in the area at the time to share dashcam footage with officers.
“Shell casings” were retrieved from the scene.
The spokesman said given the U.S. Consulate is a “highly secure, highly fortified” building, although there is evidence of a bullet impact on the front door, nobody inside was injured and it appears those inside may not have even been aware of the shooting at the time. The alarm was not raised with police until approximately an hour after the shooting.
Police said they couldn’t yet determine whether the shooting was linked to rising tensions in the Middle East, but made clear it was their working hypothesis that this may be the case, and said security to the U.S. and Israeli consulates and embassies in the country was being increased in response.
The consulate shooting follows a spate of shootings at synagogues in the Toronto area in the past week, and Canada’s CBC notes Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow went so far as to suggest a link between the attacks. The police press conference stated that it was too early to say there was definitely a link, but nevertheless conceded: “[there have been] similar types of events, extremely serious shootings at Synagogues and this very much informs how we will approach this matter as well”.
As of the latest police updates on the three Synagogue shootings, they involved individuals driving up to the synagogues before opening fire then driving away, and that no suspects had been identified.
The apparent attack on the U.S. Consulate in Toronto follows a terrorism investigation into an explosion at the U.S. Embassy in Norway over the weekend. A man is understood to have thrown a device at the building and then fled.
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