Canadian authorities investigate shooting at US consulate in Toronto | Police news

Police reported no injuries after someone fired a gun outside the US consulate early Tuesday morning.

Police in Toronto, Canada have announced that shots were fired near the United States Consulate in the city. No injuries were reported, and the incident remains under investigation, officials said.

In a social media post, local police responded to reports of the incident at 5:29 a.m. local time (09:29 GMT) on Tuesday and said they found evidence of a gun discharge.

Chief Superintendent Chris Leather of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police later said the shooting was being investigated as a “national security incident.”

So far, no suspects have been identified or a motive determined. But the shooting comes amid tensions between the US and Canada, and local politicians issued statements condemning any violence.

“The shooting at the U.S. Consulate early this morning was a completely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation aimed at our American friends and neighbors,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a statement.

“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.”

The US Department of State said it is following the situation closely and is in contact with Canadian authorities.

Although details about the incident are scarce, the shooting comes amid a public backlash after the US and Israel launched a war against Iran.

Last Saturday, for example, there were protests and counter-protests outside the US consulate in Toronto. Some demonstrators called on the public to say “no to unjust war”. Others hailed the US-Israeli effort as a “rescue mission.”

Security has been increased outside the US and Israeli diplomatic facilities in Toronto in the wake of the shooting.

Reports of Tuesday’s shootings come after three synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were hit by gunfire in a recent week. No injuries were reported in three cases.

In early March, local media reported a shooting at an Iranian-owned gym in the Thornhill neighborhood.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow responded to the report on Tuesday, issuing a statement condemning any anti-Semitic acts in the wake of the battle.

“The US consulate was shot at. This comes after shootings at synagogues,” Chow said. “It can’t stand.”

Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangari, meanwhile, called reports of Tuesday’s shooting “totally unacceptable.”

“Canada will never tolerate any form of intimidation and violence, including from our American friends in Canada,” Anandasangari said in a social media post.

Police in the northern European nation of Norway reported an explosion at the US embassy in the capital Oslo over the weekend.

Officials said the incident is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, but other possible motives are also being explored.