Shots were fired at the US Consulate in Toronto early Tuesday in the latest attack on an American diplomatic outpost amid the ongoing war with Iran.
No injuries were reported, though officials said there were people in the heavily fortified building — with the shooting coming just after pro-Iranian-regime demonstrators protested outside the consulate over the weekend, the Toronto Sun reported.
At a late morning news conference, Toronto police said they were looking for two men in a white Honda CR-V. Investigators believe the men stopped in front of the consulate around 4:30 a.m. and fired shots from a handgun at the building.
Police also announced that security would be stepped up at both the US and Israeli consulates in the city as well as at embassies in the capital, Ottawa, following a series of attacks that included shootings targeting three synagogues in the greater Toronto area over the past week.
No injuries were reported from those incidents.
“We appreciate and understand the concern and how unsettling this is,” said Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Francisco Barredo, though authorities claimed there was no immediate threat to public safety.
“The shooting that took place outside of the US Consulate in Toronto early this morning is absolutely unacceptable,” Canada Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said in a post on X.
“Canada will never tolerate intimidation and violence of any kind, including towards our American friends in Canada. We are glad to see that no one was hurt, and we are grateful for the quick response of [Toronto police] at the scene.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has clashed with the Trump administration on trade issues and tariffs in the past, also condemned the shooting on social media, calling it “an absolutely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation aimed at our American friends and neighbors.”
“I expect that police at all levels will bring every resource to bear to find the people who did this,” Ford added. “Everyone at all levels of government and across Canada needs to make clear that there is zero tolerance for this sort of intimidating and dangerous behavior, and that we will do whatever it takes to prosecute and punish the people responsible to the fullest extent of the law.”
In a separate statement, the State Department said it was aware of the incident and was closely monitoring the situation in coordination with local law enforcement.
Tuesday’s attack followed the explosion of an improvised explosive device outside the US Embassy in Oslo, Norway, early Sunday. Police were still searching for a suspect in that case and were investigating whether the attack was linked to Operation Epic Fury, which entered its 11th day Tuesday.
