Police were called to the scene at around 5:30am local time on Tuesday. Witnesses reported a white SUV stopped outside the consulate, two men got out, fired a handgun at the building, and drove away. Police found spent shell casings and damage to the building.
People were inside the consulate at the time, but no one was injured. The building is highly fortified, which prevented injuries. It is too early to determine a motive for the shooting.
Streets have been closed near the US consulate as police investigate. Security has been increased at US and Israeli diplomatic sites in Toronto and Ottawa as a precaution. The shooting comes after recent shootings at synagogues in Toronto.
Several buildings in Toronto have been shot at since the US-Israeli operation against Iran began on 28 February. A Toronto boxing gym owned by an Iranian-Canadian critic of the Iranian government was struck by bullets last Monday. No one was injured in the synagogue or gym shootings.
Police have not identified or arrested any suspects for the consulate shooting or other incidents. It is unclear if the attacks are related, though police are investigating potential links. Norwegian police are investigating an explosion that occurred outside the US embassy in Oslo on Sunday.
Norwegian police are investigating a possible link to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that involves the US. Police in Norway have released images of a person believed to be linked to the explosion, which caused minor damage. The US State Department is aware of the incident and is monitoring the situation in coordination with local law enforcement.
Officials have contacted their US counterparts, including the FBI. The Canadian government will use the full weight of resources to prosecute perpetrators of the shooting incidents across Toronto. Key unknowns remain regarding the suspects involved in the consulate shooting, including their identities or affiliations.
The specific motive behind the consulate shooting is also undetermined, with potential links to international tensions or domestic issues under scrutiny. It is unclear if the consulate shooting, synagogue shootings, and gym shooting are definitively connected, and what evidence or group might link them. Further unknowns include the exact timing of the consulate shooting, such as discrepancies between 4:30am and 5:30am, which could affect the investigation.
The specific security measures implemented at US and Israeli diplomatic sites have not been detailed, nor has the duration they will remain in place been disclosed. Reactions and implications for diplomatic security highlight concerns over escalating violence.