EDITORIAL: Who’s funding these teenage hired guns?

Tragically, Marc Pinizzotto paid the price for politicians' complacency.

Published Jun 17, 2026  •  Last updated 8 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Toronto Police officers work around the scene of a shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto on March 10, 2026. Photo by Cole Burston /Getty Images

Shocking revelations that a teenage gun-for-hire gang was responsible for a reign of terror across southern Ontario have ramifications for the entire country.

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Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw told reporters June 16 that his force was working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S. and RCMP on probes into attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, as well as shootings targeting Jewish schools and synagogues. They’re also believed to be involved in shootings related to GFL, a waste disposal company. The consulate was shot up in a pre-dawn drive-by attack in March.

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Police have recovered two guns they believe are related to 27 shootings. Three people were arrested after police executed search warrants. Toronto Police officer Marc Pinizzotto was gunned down during one of those raids.

The news conference raised more questions than it answered regarding the widespread nature of the criminal network behind the shootings.

“It is clear that some of the people hiring these criminals want to create a sense of fear in our communities, including in the Jewish community,” Demkiw said. He asked a key question: “Who is paying for this?”

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Would we have even known about the link between the shooting of Pinizzotto and the consulate shooting without the statement by U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra? At an unrelated conference, shortly after the shooting and before Canadian officials had provided any such details, Hoekstra made a point of linking the shooting of Pinizzotto to the consulate gunfire. The execution of the search warrant, he said, showed the “close cooperation that we have in law enforcement between the two countries, how we work together and the risk involved in those types of activities.”

Last month, U.S. authorities announced the arrest of an alleged terrorist in Turkey. They claim Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iraqi-Iranian national, was working for an Iranian-backed terrorist organization that was behind attacks in Europe. They say he’s claimed responsibility for attacks in Canada — including the one on the consulate.

Whoever is paying young people to terrorize selected targets is seeking to sow fear and social disruption in this country. Politicians at all levels have ignored the warning signs. Tragically, constable Pinizzotto paid the price for their complacency.

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