There is a heavy police presence surrounding the U.S. Consulate after at least one shot was fired outside the building early Monday morning. Although police have not yet confirmed if the consulate was targeted, the incident comes about four months after the building was struck by gunfire in another shooting. Police previously confirmed that multiple suspects are in custody in connection with that incident, which occurred on March 10 and was described by investigators as a gun-for-hire scheme involving young people who were hired to shoot at the building. In the wake of the shooting, officers were subsequently tasked with conducting 24-hour surveillance on the building and police confirmed to CP24 that is was those officers who heard the shots on Monday morning. One shell casing was found outside the building, located near University and Queen streets, at around 4:45 a.m. on Monday. The southbound lanes of University Avenue were closed for the police investigation but have since reopened. No injuries have been reported. A white sedan was seen fleeing the area but police have not released any information on possible suspects. In a statement posted to social media, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that he was “totally disgusted” by both the shooting outside the U.S. Consulate and separate shootings targeting two locations of a Jewish-owned bakery over the weekend. “I’m totally disgusted by the shootings and vandalism that took place in Toronto over the last few days, including at two Jewish-owned businesses over the weekend and near the U.S. Consulate this morning,” he said. “In all cases, active police investigations are underway. I expect all those responsible to be found, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.” In a post on social media, a spokesperson for the U.S. Consulate thanked Toronto police for their response early Monday morning.
