Toronto Police charge teen, young man in second U.S. Consulate shooting
· Toronto Sun
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Toronto Police have made a pair of arrests in connection with last month’s shooting at the U.S. Consulate in downtown Toronto.
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On Thursday, Chief Myron Demkiw announced a teenaged boy and a young man were taken into custody in connection with the July 26 shooting and face numerous criminal charges.
Xen-Ul-Abdeen Syed, 19, faces arson, firearms charges, attack on internationally-protected persons, fleeing police, and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
The second suspect, a 15-year-old boy, faces similar charges.
The pair also face numerous charges of failing to comply with release conditions.
“I said at that time that our pursuit of those responsible would be relentless, and I’m pleased to say that through the hard work of our investigators, we have one suspect in custody this past Saturday, and a second suspect was arrested yesterday,” Demkiw told reporters Thursday.
Shooting was contracted on messaging app
Demkiw said the investigation suggests the shooting was contracted out, as was the case with the March 10 shooting at the U.S. Consulate.
“We believe that these two individuals were offered payment to carry out this attack through encrypted messaging apps,” he said.
“There has been significant public interest and speculation about who is behind these crimes, and that remains a key focus of our investigation.”
Just before 5 a.m. on July 26, a Toronto Police officer taking part in an ongoing security detail at the University Ave. consulate heard a single gunshot and spotted a white car with no licence plate speed from the scene.
Officers in 52 Division located the vehicle near Gerrard Ave. and the Don Valley Parkway and gave chase, but called off the pursuit owing to the driver’s dangerous driving.
Police released video captured by CCTV cameras of the shooting showing a white vehicle drive by the consulate, with a single shot being fired out the passenger window.
Nobody was injured in the shooting.
“These investigations are complex, they require coordination, expertise and strong partnerships,” Demkiw said.
Suspected in Caledon vehicle arson
Police believe the two accused are also responsible for a July 24 vehicle fire in a driveway in Caledon, near Queen St. W. and Mississauga Rd.
Police say the accused purchased gasoline using a stolen car at a filling station near Kingston Rd. and McCowan Rd. in Scarborough.
Second time U.S. Consulate targeted
This is the second time gunmen opened fire on the U.S. Consulate.
Sheldon Tracy-Stewart, 18, and Zara Jabbi, 19, were arrested in June in connection with the first shooting, which took place on March 10.
A third suspect, 18-year-old Jayon Burgher, was arrested by Halton Regional Police in March in connection with an unrelated shooting, but testing by investigators suggests one of the handguns used in that shooting matched one used in the consulate shooting.
Toronto Const. Marc Pinizzotto was killed in a June 10 shootout while taking part in a search warrant connected with the first U.S. Consulate shooting.
In May, U.S. officials arrested 32-year-old Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi for orchestrating scores of attacks across North America targeting Jewish and American-linked intuitions, including the March 10 Toronto consulate shooting.
American officials believe him to be the leader of the Kataib Hezbollah terrorist group, an organization linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC.)
Anybody with information is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.