CBC Investigation Links Toronto Gun-for-Hire Shootings to Iranian Financing
A CBC News investigation has identified a dozen politically motivated gun-for-hire shootings in Toronto targeting synagogues, Jewish-owned businesses, and the U.S. Consulate that appear to have been financed by the Iranian government. Authorities are examining links between young suspects, organized crime, and international terrorism charges.
A CBC News investigation has identified a dozen politically motivated gun-for-hire shootings in Toronto that appear to have been financed by the Iranian government. The targets included synagogues, schools, businesses in the Greater Toronto Area, and the U.S. Consulate in downtown Toronto.
Many of the shootings occurred in the hours and days following the start of U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iran on February 28 and the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. No one was injured in the Toronto shootings, which featured early morning attacks where suspects used stolen cars and filmed the acts on phones. Among the targeted sites was the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT) synagogue, whose front doors and windows were peppered with gunfire late on a Friday night in early March 2026.
Most suspects arrested face multiple charges and are young, ranging in age from 15 to their early 20s. Toronto Police, the RCMP, and CSIS are investigating whether a foreign power instigated the attacks, noting a lack of direct connection between financiers and street-level perpetrators. Police investigations revealed complex layers of separation between financiers and perpetrators via encrypted apps.
Ballistic tests confirm that firearms used in geopolitical targeted shootings also crossed over with attacks associated with the waste management giant Green For Life (GFL).
In May, the FBI arrested Mohammad Baqer al-Saadi, alleged to be a senior member of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), charging him with six terrorism-related charges connected to planning attacks in Europe and Canada. An indictment alleges al-Saadi helped coordinate the March 2026 shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto and an assault on an unnamed synagogue.
Canada issued a joint statement with 20 other nations in June condemning Iran's lethal plotting and malign actions in Europe, North America, and Australia. Security analyst Keir Giles stated that Iranian-linked attacks follow a blueprint similar to Russia's use of proxy violence in Europe since the invasion of Ukraine. Synagogue congregations expressed anger and frustration but refused to be intimidated.