Two men fired multiple shots at the US consulate in Toronto early Tuesday in what police described as a “national security incident,” prompting increased protection at US and Israeli diplomatic buildings in the city.
The individuals approached the consulate in downtown Toronto around 4:30 a.m. ET, exited a white van and fired several bullets from a handgun at the consulate, Frank Barredo, Toronto’s deputy police chief, told reporters.
There were people inside at the time, but “this building is very safe, it is very fortified and there were no injuries,” Barredo said.
Chris Leather, chief superintendent of Canada’s federal police, said the shooting was “definitely a national security incident because the U.S. consulate … was hit by gunfire.”
Leather, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, continued: “If this is a terrorist (event), it will be subject to investigation.”
Leather also told reporters that security protocols are being improved at the US and Israeli diplomatic buildings in Toronto and the Canadian capital, Ottawa.
“I think it’s pretty obvious, based on the incidents in Toronto and elsewhere, that these consulates deserve increased surveillance and security at this time,” Leather said.
Last weekend there were protests in front of the consulate to denounce the war in the Middle East caused by the attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Three Toronto-area synagogues have also been hit by gunfire in recent days, but no injuries have been reported.
When asked about a possible link between the synagogue shootings and the shooting at the U.S. consulate, Barredo said it was “too early” to make a link.
But, he added, “we don’t look at (the incidents) in isolation. We look at them collectively.”
Leather said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was working with the FBI on the consulate shooting, as well as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford described the incident as “an absolutely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation directed at our American friends and neighbors.”
He said: “Everyone at all levels of government and across Canada needs to make it clear that there is zero tolerance for this type of intimidating and dangerous behavior.”
In a statement, the state department said it was aware of the incident and was closely monitoring the situation in coordination with local authorities.
The incident follows the explosion of an improvised device at the US embassy in Oslo on Sunday. Norwegian police were still searching for a suspect, with a possible link to the Iran war among the lines of investigation.
