Canada police investigate reports of shots fired at US consulate in Toronto

It comes as Norwegian police investigate an explosion that occurred outside the US embassy in Oslo on Sunday.

Canadian police are investigating a reported shooting incident at the U.S. consulate in downtown Toronto early Tuesday morning. The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. near University Avenue and Queen Street West. Although no injuries have been reported, authorities confirmed that evidence of gunfire was found at the scene. At this time, no suspects have been identified or apprehended. The incident follows closely on the heels of two Toronto-area synagogues being hit by gunfire over the previous weekend, raising concerns about a possible pattern of targeted violence. Investigations into all incidents are ongoing.

Several European countries, including Belgium, France, and Germany, have heightened security measures following two explosions over the weekend, as tensions rise due to a war in the Middle East. In Belgium, an explosion occurred outside a synagogue in Liege early Monday morning. No injuries were reported, but nearby buildings were damaged. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin condemned the attack as a “despicable antisemitic act” and said federal prosecutors were investigating it as a possible terrorist offense. In Norway, an early Sunday blast damaged the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Oslo. Surveillance footage captured a masked suspect with a backpack fleeing the scene. Police suspect the use of an improvised explosive device and are considering whether the act was a targeted attack. Authorities are also examining a video showing Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, posted to Google Maps near the embassy's location around the time of the incident. Both incidents have added to European concerns over security, with transportation authorities calling for increased vigilance, despite European countries not being directly involved in the Middle East conflict alongside the U.S. and Israel.

Police in Canada are investigating after shots were fired at the US consulate in Toronto. Officers said evidence was found of a discharged firearm and that no injuries were reported. Toronto police said in a social media post they responded to the reported shots at 5.29 a.m. (0929 GMT) on Tuesday. Representatives for the US embassy in Toronto and the Department of State did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The incident follows the explosion of an improvised device at the US embassy in Oslo on Sunday. Norwegian police were still searching for a suspect, with a possible link to the Iran war among the lines of inquiry.

Norwegian police are investigating an explosion early Sunday outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, the capital of the Scandinavian country, officials said. No injuries were reported. Police received reports of a “loud bang” or explosion around 1 a.m., Oslo police said in a news release. The explosion was caused by some sort of incendiary device, according to Frode Larsen, leader of the Oslo police joint unit for investigation and intelligence. Investigators believe the embassy was the target and are searching for the perpetrators and their motive. Larsen said the embassy’s entrance had damage, but no arrests have been made. “We are early in the investigation, but we are working based on multiple hypotheses,” Larsen said in a statement. “Given the current security situation, it is natural to consider whether this was a targeted attack on the American Embassy. However, we have not committed to any single hypothesis.” Local media reported that people nearby said the street was blanketed in thick smoke following the blast. Police are seeking to talk to witnesses. A U.S. official said the incendiary device was inside a backpack and detonated outside the entrance to the Consular Affairs office at the embassy. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. PST, the Norwegian police security service, called in additional personnel following the incident, but hasn't changed the country's terror threat level, according to communication adviser Martin Bernsen. “This is an unacceptable incident that is being treated with the utmost seriousness,” said Astri Aas-Hansen, Norway’s minister of justice and public security. “The police have stated that they are investigating the case with significant resources, and that nothing indicates the situation poses any danger to the public.” The U.S. Embassy in Oslo referred media queries to the U.S. State Department, which didn't immediately return a request for comment.