Canadian police link dozens of Toronto shootings to alleged crypto‑paid gun‑for‑hire network targeting Jewish sites

Toronto police announced that at least 27 shootings in the Greater Toronto Area were carried out by a gun‑for‑hire network. Investigators say mostly young men were recruited through encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp and paid about $1,000 in cryptocurrency for each attack. The incidents include shootings at synagogues, a Jewish school, the U.S. consulate and waste‑management firm GFL Environmental.

Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the perpetrators are “bad actors using criminal elements” to create fear in the community. Secretary of State for Combating Crime Ruby Sahota indicated that a foreign entity is behind the hiring, though the identity remains under investigation. Officials have referenced similar patterns in Australia, the United Kingdom and elsewhere, with speculation about involvement by Iran or Israel, but no definitive attribution has been confirmed.