Toronto Police Arrest 19-Year-Old in U.S. Consulate Shooting as Encrypted Network Probe Widens
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18
Toronto Police Arrest 19-Year-Old in U.S. Consulate Shooting as Encrypted Network Probe Widens
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18
Summary
Toronto police said 19-year-old Zara Jabbi was arrested Wednesday at Pearson airport after months on the run over the March 10 shooting at the U.S. Consulate.
Police charged Jabbi with firearm possession, car theft and attacking a consulate, alleging he and 18-year-old Sheldon Tracey-Stewart shared one gun and took turns firing at the building while filming themselves.
Tracey-Stewart was arrested June 11 with a loaded firearm during raids that triggered a shootout in Toronto, killing Const. Marc Pinizzotto, 43; murder suspect Nicholas Bennett, 19, remains unconscious in hospital.
Investigators say the consulate attack was part of a guns-for-hire network that recruits young people on Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp and pays them to record assaults, with police still trying to identify who is directing and funding it.
Who is funding the network turning Canadian teens into perpetrators of terror-style attacks?
Will new surveillance laws stop encrypted apps from being the perfect tool for recruiting young criminals?
Toronto’s 2026 Shooting Spree: Unraveling the Gun-for-Hire Network, Foreign Influence, and Community Impact
Overview
A series of shootings in Toronto, including the March 10, 2026 attack on the U.S. Consulate, has been linked to a broader network of violent incidents across the city. Police investigations quickly connected the consulate shooting to other attacks, such as those targeting synagogues and businesses, revealing a pattern of coordinated violence. Both local and national security units launched parallel investigations, treating the incidents as serious threats. Authorities have identified suspects and uncovered evidence of organized 'gun-for-hire' networks, with possible international connections, highlighting the complexity and scale of the threat facing Toronto.