Add The New York Post on Google A shooter fired at the US Consulate in Toronto on Monday in the second attack on the building this year — and cops are now hunting for a car that escaped the scene in a high-speed pursuit.
An officer stationed at the US Consulate heard the blast of a gunshot and noticed a white Honda Accord with no license plates speeding away from the scene around 4:46 a.m., Toronto deputy chief Frank Barredo said at a press conference on Monday.
Officers located the vehicle and began a high-speed pursuit — but were forced to stop the chase due to the danger posed by the suspect’s speed and a lack of aerial support.
A single shell casing was recovered at the American diplomatic outpost, and there was some damage to its facade, Barredo said.
Nobody was injured in the “reckless” attack, the deputy chief added.
“We will approach this investigation with great seriousness,” Barredo told reporters. “We will bring the people responsible for this to justice.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called the shooting a “brazen attack,” and said she was working with authorities to stop the illegal flow of guns into the city and “bring those responsible to justice.”
“I want to say to the person or persons responsible: We will get you,” Chow said.
Police last month caught two suspects — Sheldon Tracy-Stewart, 18, and Zara Jabbi, 19 — wanted for the previous attack on the building.
In the early morning of March 10, the duo allegedly fired multiple shots from a handgun at the building before fleeing in a stolen vehicle.
Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was killed in a gun battle with Jabbi and another teen in June while investigating the shooting at the US Consulate.
Nicholas Bennett, 19, of Toronto, was hit with first-degree murder charges in connection with his death. Jabbi managed to escape the shootout and was later arrested.
Investigators have also alleged that the youngsters had been hired to target several Jewish institutions, CBC reported.
“We will continue with the same level of efforts, same level of conviction and dedication to deal with this,” Barredo said, referring to arrests made in the March shooting.
“I’m a Torontonian, and I know how you are thinking. This should not be happening. We’re going to bring the people responsible for this to justice and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
A motive in Monday’s shooting is not yet clear, and no arrests have been made.
Toronto police in June said they believed several shootings could be linked to “multilayered” gun-for-hire networks that have also targeted synagogues in the city.
Two popular Jewish-owned bakeries were targeted by gunfire over the weekend. Barredo said police have not ruled out a possible connection between those incidents and Monday’s shooting.
Anyone who was in the vicinity of the US Consulate and has dashcam footage, or noticed something unusual around 4:30 and 5 a.m., is asked to contact the Toronto Police Service at 416-808-2222.
