Through modern phone encryption technology, Toronto Police now acknowledge a murky criminal network somewhere in the world paying young people to create terror in the city by shooting up political and religious targets.
And Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw has now publicly said this deadly ‘shooting-for-hire’ enterprise that led to the death of Const. Marc Pinozzotto not only recruited Toronto youth to fire their guns but required them to record the crimes on video as proof they did it.
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“Through encrypted messaging apps, young people are hired to carry out attacks against various targets and in order to get paid, they are required to film their attacks,” Demkiw confirmed in a powerful, stunning and emotional news conference at headquarters Tuesday.
Who is paying for this?
While Toronto Police announced three new arrests concerning the alleged plot to see a group of people be compensated to shoot up Jewish and American targets and potentially GFL business and residential sites, whether or not they were directed by international or domestic criminals remains under investigation.
“Who is paying for this?” Demkiw said is the big question. “This is what we are trying to determine — including by working with our RCMP and FBI colleagues.”
With RCMP Chief Superintendent Jamie Zettler, who runs the Federal Policing Central Division, Chief Supt. Joe Matthews, and Chief Supt. Katherine Stephenson at the podium with him, Demkiw called it a “broader pattern” that “we are dealing with in these instances, including shootings at Jewish synagogues and schools” which shows “recurring and similar Motis operandi — and that is criminals for hire.”
Matthews added that “multiple people are recruiting multiple people in each cell” and “the information we have is this is for monetary gain — they are getting paid for these acts.” The apps that are part of their investigation so far are WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, but Matthews said they expect to find “many more.”
With Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, an alleged terrorist arrested by the Americans last month, telling officials that the March 10 U.S. Consulate shooting incident and at least one of the synagogue shootings was directed from foreign terrorist cells.
On this assertion, the chief said “we continue to follow every lead.”
Chief Myron Demkiw confirms criminals hire young people to shoot up synagogues and political targets, like the US consulate which ultimately led to the death of one of his own officers, Const. Marc Pinizzotto. “Who is paying for this? This is what we are trying to determine.” pic.twitter.com/bhJfrllI8Z
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) June 16, 2026
Demkiw also said he is leaning on the federal government and their new crime-fighting bills to create a new charge for people “recruiting young people to commit a crime.”
Should name new law after Pinizzotto
Perhaps they should call it Marc’s law out of respect for murder victim Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who with his family have had to pay the worst and ultimate price for this sick madness. Whoever is behind paying for those young men to fire that gun at Jewish and American targets should also be charged with first-degree murder.
Meanwhile, one of the people they are still looking for in this is Zara Jabbi, 19 , who police say is “wanted in connection with the shooting at the U.S. Consulate.” While it’s unclear if he is hiding out in Canada or managed to flee the country, he has cards to play in that it is not believed he is directly involved in the cop slaying and could provide authorities with potential details of how this network operates and where it operates from. It has been suggested he turn himself in and with the potential knowledge he may have, however remote it may seem, it might be his best option.
At this point, information is power and who is behind all of this is an enigma.
Said Demkiw: “I know there has been a lot of reporting about criminal groups, foreign actors. But what I can tell you is we are still working actively to investigate who is responsible, who is orchestrating these criminal acts.”
Demkiw added “what we do know is bad actors are using criminal elements in our city to carry out the dangerous incidents and it is clear that some of the people hiring these criminals want to create a sense of fear in our communities including in the Jewish community.”
Two guns at heart of probe
While this is all a complex alleged crime-and-terror related scheme, Demkiw and Matthews explained that two crime guns are at the heart of this probe: One, a 45. calibre handgun, they believe, is responsible for 21 Toronto shooting incidents and the other, a 9 mm handgun, responsible for six. One of these guns is also believed to have been used to shoot and kill Pinizzotto, 43 on June 11, while with a team was exercising a warrant to seize this very gun and arrest the suspect who police shot at the same time and who remains in hospital.
Demkiw said he will be charged with first-degree murder.
In addition to Pinizzotto’s slaying, the chief also revealed Nicholas Bennett, 19, is “also expected to be charged in relation to the firearm discharge that occurred on March 25, 2026, in the area of Markham Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E., targeting a high rise unit” and “in relation to the firearm discharge that occurred on March 26, 2026, in the area of Islington Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. W., targeting a business.”
Toronto Police, at the same time as when Pinizzotto was slain but in a building next door on Martha Eaton Way, also charged Sheldon Tracey-Stewart, 18, of Toronto, “in relation to the shooting at the U.S. Consulate on March 10, 2026” and “during the search warrant, a loaded handgun was seized by police.”
Matthews also revealed “on April 15, 2026, Jayon Burgher, 18, of Barrie, was arrested by Halton Regional Police Service in relation to a firearm discharge targeting a residence in Oakville on March 29, 2026. While in custody, he was charged by the Toronto Police Service in relation to the firearm discharge event on March 26, 2026, targeting a business in the Islington Avenue and Lake Shore Blvd. W. area.”
‘Complex coordinated investigation’
What a tangled web.
“This is a complex, coordinated investigation involving multiple law enforcement partners and spanning numerous violent incidents across the Greater Toronto Area,” Demkiw said. “It also underscores the very real risks our officers face every day while working to protect our communities from dangerous and violent offenders.”
The chief added: “We lost one of our own during this operation, and Constable Marc Pinizzotto’s service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. We remain focused on holding those responsible accountable and on continuing the work needed to prevent further violence in our city.”
This should no longer be considered a local crime matter, but a national and potentially international terrorism probe. This story is not about local gang activity but about people allegedly hiring local actors to commit shooting crimes against the Jewish community and against our American allies and their main office in Toronto.
Chief Demkiw Address Media on Arrests made in US Consulate Shooting and Other Firearm Discharge Investigations https://t.co/sDPcg6OHVA
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) June 16, 2026
Toronto Police had a fine officer slain while on the pursuit to not only seizing the guns used in all of these plots, but the players allegedly involved, too, and perhaps even those who hired and compensated them.
While Pinizzotto was a cop killed in the line of duty, he is also a national figure who died in potentially preventing an alleged terror network from shooting up another religious, business or political target.
And, as Demkiw acknowledged, despite their own “grief,” those men and women are still working on trying to end this heinous gun for hire threat.
Toronto Police arrests and charges:
On April 15, 2026, Jayon Burgher, 18, of Barrie, was arrested by Halton Regional Police Service in relation to a firearm discharge targeting a residence in Oakville on March 29, 2026. While in custody, he was charged by Toronto Police in relation to the firearm discharge event on March 26, 2026, targeting a business in the Islington Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. W. area.
Charges:
– Discharge a restricted firearm or a prohibited firearm into or at a place
– Unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle
-Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
– Possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized
– Possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to prohibition order
– Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
– Flight while being pursued by peace officer
He appeared at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre, 2201 Finch Ave. W., on April 16, 2026, in room 105.
On June 11, 2026, five search warrants were executed in Toronto by Toronto Police with the support of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Two suspects — Sheldon Tracey-Stewart, 18, and Nicholas Bennett, 19 — were arrested at two separate locations in the Black Creek Dr. and Trethewey Dr. area.
Tracey-Stewart was arrested and charged in relation to the shooting at the U.S. Consulate on March 10, 2026. During the search warrant, a loaded handgun was seized by police.
Charges:
– Theft of motor vehicle
– Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
– Discharge a restricted or a prohibited firearm at a place
– Attack on premises of internationally protected persons
– two counts of possess of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized
– two counts of possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
– two counts of fail to comply with release order
– Possess a firearm knowing serial number has been tampered with
He appeared at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre, 2201 Finch Ave. W., on June 11, 2026, in room 105.
During the execution of a search warrant, it is alleged that Bennett shot and killed Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto. Officers returned fire and he was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries. A handgun was seized by police.
He is expected to be charged with first-degree murder.
Bennett is also expected to be charged in relation to the firearm discharge that occurred on March 25, 2026, in the area of Markham Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E., targeting a high rise unit.
Charges:
– Occupy motor vehicle with firearm
– Have face masked/disguised
– Discharge firearm into a place/reckless to others
– Possess firearm without holding alicence
– Possess firearm other than restricted or prohibited firearm knowingly not holding a licence
– Possess loaded regulated firearm
– Breach of probation
Bennett is also expected to be charged in relation to the firearm discharge that occurred on March 26, 2026, in the area of Islington Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. W., targeting a business.
Charges:
– Discharge a restricted firearm or a prohibited firearm into or at a place
– Unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle
– Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm
– Possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized
– Possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to prohibition order
– Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
– Breach of probation
Investigators are awaiting results of forensic ballistics currently being performed on a firearm seized during the search warrants to determine additional linkages.