In the early morning of the 10th local time, a shooting incident targeted at the US Consulate occurred in Toronto, Canada. No injuries were reported. Given the heightened tensions in the Middle East, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has officially classified this as a national security incident and launched an investigation, while simultaneously increasing the security level at all consulates in Toronto and the capital, Ottawa.
The incident took place at 5:29 a.m. on the 10th, when Toronto police received reports of gunshots at the US Consulate located at 360 University Avenue. Deputy Chief Barreto revealed at a press conference that CCTV footage showed a white Honda CR-V driving westbound on Dundas Street, turning onto University Avenue, and stopping in front of the consulate.
Two men then got out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots at the front of the consulate before escaping south in the car. Police found multiple shell casings at the scene and the consulate building was damaged. Fortunately, there were few pedestrians at the time, so no injuries occurred. Streets surrounding the consulate have been completely sealed off due to the investigation.
● Investigating Whether Terrorism Is Involved
Ontario's RCMP Criminal Operations Director Lesser confirmed that the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) has taken over the investigation. He emphasized that since the US consulate was the target, the incident has been defined as a national security case. Whether or not this involves terrorism will need further verification in the coming weeks.
In addition to the shooting in Canada, an explosion occurred outside the US Embassy in Oslo, Norway, in the early morning of the 8th. Norwegian police confirmed that the blast was caused by some kind of incendiary device and believe the embassy was the intended target. With consecutive targeted attacks in both Toronto and Oslo, US diplomatic facilities around the world have entered a heightened state of alert.