Toronto Cop Shot Dead During Investigation Linked to Attack on US Consulate

Investigators work the scene where a Toronto police officer was shot at an apartment in North York on June 11, 2026. The Canadian Press/Arlyn McAdorey

A Toronto police officer was shot and killed in the early morning of June 11 during an investigation linked to the March shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto.

Const. Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was killed while conducting a search warrant at an apartment in the area of Tretheway Drive and Black Creek Drive in North York, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw told reporters on June 11.

Pinizzotto, an 18-year veteran of the Toronto Police Service (TPS), was shot at in an apartment unit on Martha Eaton Way at about 5:42 a.m. during an exchange of gunfire while officers were executing the search warrant, police said in a post on X.

The officer was transported to Sunnybrook Hospital, but later died, Demkiw said.

“This loss will have a profound impact on the Toronto Police Family. Our Service, our members, and all members of the larger policing family are deeply saddened,” Demkiw said. 

“No words can capture the impact on Marc’s family, who expected him to come home today. We as a Service will support them and each other.”

Demkiw confirmed that the investigation that led to the search warrant was connected to a “number of shootings,” including the shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto during the early morning hours of March 10. Law enforcement officials had described the shooting as a “national security incident.”

He noted there were several search warrants executed on the morning of June 11.

Demkiw said one suspect—Zara Jabbi, 19—remains outstanding and is considered armed and dangerous, while another suspect is in custody and receiving treatment in hospital.

“I urge you to turn yourself in,” the police chief said. He noted the police force will provide more details as they become available.

In offering his condolences, Prime Minister Mark Carney noted the tragedy follows the death of Ontario Provincial Police Const. Tarun Bali, who was killed on June 9 while conducting an investigation in a small northern community.

“Canada mourns the loss of these brave officers who dedicated their lives to protecting their communities,” Carney said in a post on X.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow joined Demkiw at the media availability, calling Pinizotto’s death “heartbreaking news.”

“There are no words that can ease the pain of the family, the loved ones, and the colleagues across the service. They are very much in our thoughts as they face this profound loss,” Chow said.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra offered his condolences to Pinizzotto’s family, as well as to the law enforcement communities in Toronto and in Ontario.

“A Toronto policeman was killed, I believe overnight in an investigation that may be linked to the United States,” Hoekstra said at the 2026 U.S.-Canada Summit on June 11.

“We are all affected by this, and so let’s remember them today as we move forward.”

Hoekstra told reporters after his fireside chat at the summit that it’s “way too early” to say whether the shooting was related to the shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre offered his “deepest condolences” to Pinizzotto’s family and colleagues.

“Today my thoughts are with them, and with all officers in uniform who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to keep Canadians safe,” Poilievre said in a post on X.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also extended his “sincere condolences” to Pinizzotto’s family and fellow members of the TPS.

US Consulate Shooting

Police responded to reports of gunfire at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto at 5:29 a.m. on March 10, and found evidence of gunfire and damage to the building. No one was injured during the shooting, but police confirmed there were people in the building when the shots were fired.

An Iraqi national and Iranian-backed commander charged in the United States with terrorism-related offences last month was linked to the consulate shooting.

According to a U.S. criminal complaint released May 15 in a federal court in New York, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi and others were allegedly behind two attacks in Canada, including the Toronto Consulate attack and an attack on a synagogue.

The U.S. Justice Department described Al-Saadi as a senior member of the Iraqi group Kataeb Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization the department says is closely aligned with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Al-Saadi allegedly directed, planned, and took credit for a string of attacks in Europe and North America after the United States and Israel launched their strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Those attacks include bombings and arson targeting Jewish and U.S. institutions, stabbings of Jewish people, and the gunshots fired at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto. The allegations have not been proven in court.

The U.S. complaint is based on messages and photos Al-Saadi posted on social media calling for the carrying out of attacks, as well as a source and undercover agent the FBI used to collect information on Al-Saadi. 

The RCMP previously told The Epoch Times that it cannot comment on the U.S. indictment against Al-Saadi, or other details such as alleged links to individuals, groups, or locations, given the matter is before the courts.

Noé Chartier and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.