Canadian police are widening their investigation into the death of a Toronto officer killed while executing a search warrant related to a shooting at the U.S. Consulate, seeking to determine whether the case is linked to a series of global terror attacks.
Officer Marc Pinizzotto, 43, a member of the emergency task force, died Thursday (June 11) during a dawn raid at an apartment building in the west end of the city.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the search warrant involved "several shootings," including one targeting the U.S. Consulate in Toronto earlier this year. That attack occurred in early March when two suspects fired shots at the consulate. No one was injured, and the suspects fled in a white vehicle.
A police source said the investigation is looking into whether the gunmen belong to a wider "hired shooter" network in the city, which has targeted buildings owned by a major waste management company and private homes.
In recent years, Toronto and surrounding areas have seen a series of escalating attacks against tow-truck companies, including high-profile murders and police corruption allegations. Investigators suspect the shooters may be linked to some of these attacks.
The source also said investigators are examining the possibility that the incident is connected to a global terror network that has threatened retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iran. In May, U.S. authorities charged Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, an Iraqi citizen, with terrorism. He is accused of being the mastermind behind nearly 20 attacks in Europe. U.S. court documents showed he also claimed responsibility for the Toronto consulate shooting. In a criminal complaint, the FBI alleged that during a recorded phone call, al-Saadi suggested "our people" were behind the attack.
The RCMP did not respond to questions about a possible link. However, local media reported that RCMP officers were present during the morning raid at the Toronto apartment.
U.S. prosecutors said al-Saadi led a previously unknown group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, which is alleged to have cooperated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard to attack targets linked to the U.S. and Israel.
Authorities have charged Nicholas Bennett, 19, with first-degree murder for the killing of Pinizzotto. Police are still searching for Zara Jabbi, 19, in the city and have warned he may still be armed. A court authorized police to release Jabbi's photo, even though he is a minor until June 15.
Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, which is called in when civilians are seriously injured or killed by police, is investigating the shootout. Spokesperson Monica Hudon said four other people were in the apartment at the time of the "exchange of gunfire."
Pinizzotto, a father of two and an avid hockey player and youth coach, was remembered. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton said: "He spent 18 years keeping people safe. He dedicated his life to service."
Politicians, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Prime Minister Mark Carney, also paid tribute to Pinizzotto. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the shooting—along with the murder of another officer earlier in the week—"a sobering reminder of the sacrifices and risks officers face."
