Toronto Police Charge 19-Year-Old in Officer's Death, Link 27 Shootings to Gun-for-Hire Network
Updated
Updated · CityNews Toronto · Jun 16
Toronto Police Charge 19-Year-Old in Officer's Death, Link 27 Shootings to Gun-for-Hire Network
3 articles · Updated · CityNews Toronto · Jun 16
Summary
Nicholas Bennett, 19, was charged after Toronto police tied him to Const. Marc Pinizzotto’s June 11 killing and to a string of connected GTA firearm attacks, including the March 10 shooting at the U.S. Consulate.
Police said the attacks followed a recurring gun-for-hire model: young recruits were hired through encrypted apps, told to film shootings for payment, and used firearms imported from the U.S.
Three March incidents are now linked through suspects, vehicles and guns — the consulate attack, a March 25 Scarborough apartment shooting, and a March 26 Etobicoke storefront shooting in which Bennett and Jayon Burgher allegedly fled after a crash.
Five June 11 search warrants led to two arrests, the seizure of multiple firearms, and the fatal exchange of gunfire in a Martha Eaton Way apartment; Bennett was shot by police and remains hospitalized.
Zara Jabbi, 19, is still wanted in the consulate case and considered armed and dangerous, while police say the broader network may also overlap with shootings at synagogues and Jewish schools.
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.