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Police survey the scene after shots were fired at the U.S. consulate in Toronto on March 10. Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
A 19-year-old fugitive accused of shooting at the U.S. consulate building in Toronto in March was arrested on Wednesday, ending a weeklong public manhunt.
Toronto police announced in a Thursday news release that the fugitive, Zara Jabbi, is in custody. They allege he is part of a wider gunmen-for-hire network responsible for shootings at synagogues, city businesses and the U.S. consulate.
Police allege Mr. Jabbi and co-accused Sheldon Tracey-Stewart stole an SUV, drove to the U.S. consulate on March 10 and shot at the building multiple times before fleeing and ditching the vehicle.
Mr. Jabbi is facing six charges relating to the shooting, including vehicle theft and attacking the “premises of Internationally Protected Persons,” which has a penalty of up to 14 years in prison under the Criminal Code. An internationally protected person is a UN designation for foreign dignitaries. Canada is obliged to provide them with enhanced protection.
Synagogue shooters were hired by a foreign entity, Secretary of State for Combatting Crime says
U.S. prosecutors and the FBI have previously linked the consulate shooting to Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an alleged Iraqi terrorist with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He was arrested in Turkey in May and remains in U.S. custody.
Toronto police have not confirmed any connection between Mr. Al-Saadi and the attacks in the city.
In a Wednesday House of Commons sitting, Secretary of State for Combatting Crime Ruby Sahota said a “foreign entity” has hired gunmen to shoot at synagogues in Toronto.
She made the comments during an exchange about the government’s lawful-access bill, which would require electronic service providers, such as internet companies, to provide police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service with surveillance and monitoring capabilities.
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People sign an in memoriam card for Marc Pinizzotto, at Toronto police headquarters, on Tuesday. Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
Last week, Toronto police, with help from the RCMP, executed raids across Toronto in search of the alleged U.S. consulate shooters. During one such raid at a residence, 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett shot and killed Toronto Police Constable Marc Pinizzotto .
Mr. Bennett, who was also injured during the incident, is expected to be charged with first-degree murder for the officer’s death. Court documents show that Mr. Bennett is also facing charges relating to other shooting incidents, but none connecting him to the U.S. consulate attack.
Officers arrested Mr. Tracey-Stewart during the raids for his alleged role in the consulate shooting. He’s facing 11 charges, including vehicle theft, illegal firearm possession and discharging a firearm.
Police seized two handguns during the raids, which are allegedly connected to 27 shootings across the Toronto area.
During a Tuesday press conference , Toronto Police Service Chief Myron Demkiw said gunmen are being recruited online and offered money if they film themselves doing the shootings.
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Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, right, leaves after speaking to media in Toronto on Tuesday. Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
The chief said investigators are trying to determine who is paying for the attacks.
Police announced on Tuesday that Jayon Burgher, 18, is also facing a slew of firearm charges.
Mr. Burgher was arrested by Halton Regional Police for allegedly discharging a firearm at an Oakville residence in March.
Toronto police later charged Mr. Burgher, still in custody, in connection with an attack on a Toronto business. Officers allege he was working with Mr. Bennett during that shooting.
Chief Demkiw said during the news conference that the handguns seized during the raids are evidence of a wider young-adult gun-for-hire network that shares weapons when contracted.
The Globe and Mail reported last week that police believed the consulate shooting was tied to a larger shooter-for-hire network that investigators had linked to attacks on businesses – including the waste-management company GFL Environmental and tow-truck companies – as well as private residences. This was according to a source whom The Globe is not naming, as they are not authorized to speak publicly about the case.
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