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Front Burner

Alleged gun-for-hire network behind consulate, synagogue shootings

6/19/202625 min

Toronto police announced this week that nearly 30 recent shootings across the Greater Toronto Area are linked by a multi-layered gun-for-hire network. They say teens have been recruited through encrypted messaging apps to carry out attacks, from targets linked to local tow truck and waste management disputes, to synagogues, Jewish schools and even the US consulate. 

In almost all the cases, they filmed the acts for proof of payment. Now police say they want to know who’s hiring them and how far this network spans.

Abby O’Brien is a reporter at the Toronto Star who has been following Toronto organized crime networks and the recent news. She walked us through what we know so far.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit:  https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Clips

Shooter for Six Hundred
Two Guns, Thirty Shootings
Encrypted Recruitment Pipeline
Desperation and Exposure
Legal Blindspots in Encryption

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Speaker 10:00

    I am an actor, fresh out of theater school with big dreams and an even bigger drug habit. But things are pretty good, that is until my best friend is set up on a date with David Lee Roth. Yeah, from Van Halen. If you know, you know. From CBC's Personally, this is Discount Dave and the Fix, the true-ish story about how a fake rockstar led me to a real trial that held up a mirror to me. And okay, let's just say that not everyone in this story is who you think they are. Personally: Discount Dave and the Fix. Available now on CBC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

  2. Speaker 20:35

    [upbeat music] This is a CBC podcast.

  3. Jayme Poisson· Host0:39

    [upbeat music] Hey, everybody. I'm Jamie Poisson. This week, Toronto Police held this news conference and announced that nearly 30 recent shootings across the Greater Toronto Area are linked to this multilayered gun-for-hire network.

  4. Speaker 4· Soundbite1:03

    As far as these who call themselves or networks go, we believe there's multiple. The sharing of firearms is common. We have 21, uh, different shooting incidents with the .45 caliber, six with the 9mm, and we don't believe that it's the same person pulling the triggers in each one. We believe that the firearms are being swapped around.

  5. Jayme Poisson· Host1:21

    Police say that a number of teens have been recruited through encrypted messaging apps to carry out attacks, from targets linked to local tow truck and waste

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