Doug Ford raises concerns about ‘sleeper cells’ in wake of U.S. Consulate shooting

Ontario Premier Doug Ford reacts to the recent shootings at synagogues in Toronto and shots being fired towards a U.S. Consulate.

Premier Doug Ford says that the shooting of the U.S. Consulate in downtown Toronto is “absolutely unacceptable” and he is warning those responsible will “face the full extent of the law.”

Ford made the comment to reporters at Queen’s Park on Tuesday morning, hours after two suspects reportedly exited an SUV on University Avenue and proceeded to discharge at least one firearm at the exterior of the consulate building.

No injuries were reported but police have said that the shooting is being treated as a “national security incident” and that terrorism cannot yet be ruled out.

“I have all the confidence in the world that they are going to catch these criminals, we are going to hold them accountable and they are going to face the full extent of the law,” Ford said on Tuesday.

The shooting at the U.S. Consulate comes on the heels of three other shootings targeting GTA synagogues over the weekend and last week.

Police have not linked shootings

Police have not linked any of the shootings at this point, however Ford highlighted the violence during his remarks on Tuesday and speculated that there could be some links to terrorism while acknowledging that he has not been given that information by police.

“This is just me speaking but I believe there are sleeper cells all over the world. As we know, they are in the U.S., they are in Canada here and we have to weed these people out and hold them accountable,” he said. “Folks, we all grew up here. It is very peaceful, loving communities all across the province and for these people to be doing this, they need to be caught and they need to be thrown in jail for life.”

Police have already released a surveillance camera image of a suspect vehicle in Tuesday morning’s shooting while making a public appeal for information.

Chief Superintendent Chris Leather, Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations for RCMP Ontario, told reporters earlier on Tuesday that he doesn’t have “any information to provide at this time on any sleeper cells that may or may not exist in Canada.”

“Suffice to say our CSIS counterparts and our INSETS (Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams) across the country are actively investigating matters such as this and we will continue to do so,” Leather said. “I think it is important that the public realizes that we’ve had a number of meetings and discussions already this morning with our federal counterparts and that does include CSIS both here in Toronto region and at national headquarters and they are tracking this incident very closely as well.”

Ford said on Tuesday that he wants to reassure our “U.S. friends and allies that we are going to throw everything at this.”

He also said that he would like to see cameras installed outside some GTA places of worship amid the violence.

“We will not spare a penny to make sure we are holding these people accountable and we are going to go full steam at it,” he said.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also commented on the shooting at the Consulate earlier on Tuesday morning, telling reporters at Toronto City Hall that the recent rash of high profile shootings “cannot stand.”

She said police have her “full support” in finding the people responsible and “bringing them to justice.”