Someone fired shots at the U.S. consulate in Toronto early Tuesday morning, authorities said, though there were no reports of injuries or damage.
“The shooting that took place at the U.S. consulate early this morning is an absolutely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation aimed at our American friends and neighbours,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a social media post. “I’m glad to see that the Toronto Police are investigating and I expect that police at all levels will bring every resource to bear to find the people who did this.”
“We will do whatever it takes to prosecute and punish the people responsible to the fullest extent of the law,” Ford said.
Police said earlier that officers responded to reports of shots being fired early in the morning near the U.S. consulate, where investigators found “evidence of a firearm discharged” at the scene in the downtown Toronto area. No information was available about a motive or about any potential suspect, the police said in a social media post. There were no reports of injuries or property damage, according to the police.
Kyaw Soe Oo/REUTERS
A State Department spokesperson told CBS News that the U.S. was aware of the incident and closely monitoring the situation in coordination with local law enforcement, but had no further comment.
The shooting came just days after two synagogues were hit by overnight gunfire in the greater Toronto area, prompting an increased police presence. Police said there were no injuries from those incidents, either, but bullet holes were found in the front door of one synagogue.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the shootings at the synagogues an assault on the rights of Jewish Canadians to live and pray in safety, and he promised to protect places of worship.
It was unclear if the firing at the synagogues and the shots fired outside the U.S. consulate were linked to each other, or the ongoing war U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Canadian broadcaster CTV said there were road closures in place in downtown Toronto, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said there was a heavy police presence at both the U.S. and Israeli consulates in the city.
“This morning the U.S. consulate was shot at. This comes after shootings at synagogues over the past two weekends. This cannot stand,” Chow told reporters ahead of a city council meeting. “Toronto’s Jewish community has the right to practice their faith and culture and to live their day to day lives without fear, intimidation or violence.”
Chow said police were investigating and had the full support of her office in “finding the people responsible and bringing them to justice.”
