Toronto Police Tie 2 Guns to 27 Shootings, Charge Nicholas Bennett in Officer's Murder
Updated
Updated · CP24 · Jun 17
Toronto Police Tie 2 Guns to 27 Shootings, Charge Nicholas Bennett in Officer's Murder
3 articles · Updated · CP24 · Jun 17
Summary
Two seized handguns—a .45-calibre and a 9-mm—have now been linked by ballistic testing to at least 27 GTA shootings, including the March 10 attack on the U.S. Consulate.
Nicholas Bennett, 19, is charged with first-degree murder in the June 11 killing of Const. Marc Pinizzotto during North York search warrants and will also face charges in two March shootings tied to the guns.
Three men have been identified around the firearms: Sheldon Tracey-Stewart, 18, and Zara Jabbi, 19—still at large—are suspected in the consulate shooting, while Jayon Burgher, 18, was charged in an Etobicoke case.
Police said the attacks fit a wider gun-for-hire model in which young recruits are paid through encrypted apps and must film shootings, with targets including synagogues, Jewish schools and the U.S. Consulate.
The probe has widened beyond Toronto, with RCMP and INSET treating the consulate case as a national security investigation while police examine who organized the attacks and whether foreign actors were involved.
How did a Toronto teen's $800 shooting spree become an international terrorism case?
Is Toronto's gun-for-hire scheme a new global playbook for proxy warfare?
21 Shootings, 1 Gun: Inside Toronto’s 2026 Gun-for-Hire Network and Its Impact on Community Safety
Overview
Toronto is facing an immediate crisis as a surge in gun violence has been linked to a sophisticated gun-for-hire network operating across the city. Investigations have revealed that two specific illegal firearms—a .45 calibre handgun and a 9 mm handgun—are connected to numerous recent shootings, highlighting a concentrated pattern of violence. This underscores the critical role of illegal firearms in Toronto's crime landscape. The situation escalated when Const. Marc Pinizzotto was tragically killed during a police operation, emphasizing the severe risks faced by law enforcement and the urgent need to address organized criminal activity.