Canadian police investigate gunfire at US consulate in Toronto

TORONTO, March 11, (AP): Canadian police are investigating after the United States consulate in downtown Toronto was hit by gunfire early on Tuesday morning. Nobody was injured. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Chris Leather called it a national security incident and said the national police force is working with Toronto police to understand the motive.

Leather said the US and Israeli consulates, as well as embassies in Ottawa, will see an increase in security. "It is extremely concerning,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said. "We will use the full weight of our resources to ensure that the perpetrators feel the full weight of justice.” Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said two individuals emerged from a white Honda CRV SUV at around 4:30 am and fired multiple shots at the building before fleeing.

"There were people inside the building. However, this building is highly secured and highly fortified and there were no injuries,” he said. Barredo said both suspects were involved in the discharge of the firearm. He said there were shell casings as well as damage outside but said bullets did not penetrate the building. "It is very secure. The glass and the walls are reinforced and so I don’t believe there was any penetration into the building.

It’s quite possible that people in the building would not have even noticed," he said. Police released a picture of the white SUV, but there was no further information about the suspects. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called it "an absolutely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation aimed at our American friends and neighbors," and he hinted at a possible link to the war in Iran.

"This is just me speaking. I believe that there are sleeper cells all over the world as we know. They are in the US, they are in Canada here. We have to weed these people out and hold them accountable,” Ford said. "This is my personal opinion and I don't think I'm too far off with saying that. It's a different world now that we are facing with turmoil happening everywhere.”

A State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still underway, said there were no injuries to consulate staff and that the department is cooperating with Canadian officials who are investigating. The shooting comes after two Toronto-area synagogues were struck by gunfire last weekend.