The US Consulate General in Toronto was targeted in an armed attack for the second time this year. Police were dispatched to the area after gunshots were heard at the intersection of University Avenue and Armoury Street around 4:45 a.m. local time.
Toronto police found evidence that a firearm was discharged outside the consulate building. Officials said the building sustained material damage but no one was injured in the attack.
Suspects fled in unplated vehicle
Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said a white Honda Accord without license plates sped away from the area after the attack. He said officers pursued the vehicle on the Don Valley Parkway but abandoned the chase due to safety risks posed by its high speed.
Barredo stressed that it is not yet known how many people were in the vehicle and that it is too early to determine the motive for the attack. "We are treating this situation with the utmost seriousness," Barredo said, adding, "We will bring those responsible for this incident to justice."
A spokesperson for the US Embassy also confirmed that no one was injured. Crime scene investigators found a spent shell casing near the consulate, while the area was cordoned off with a wide security perimeter. Southbound traffic and pedestrian access were halted at the intersection of University Avenue and Dundas Street.
A similar attack took place four months ago
This attack came about four months after the same consulate building was targeted on March 10. No one was injured in that armed attack either, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had described the incident as a 'national security matter.' Since then, Toronto police had been conducting regular patrols around the consulate.
Several people were later taken into custody as part of the investigation into the March attack. Police had found evidence that young people across the city were being drawn into gun crimes.
