A chilling guns-for-hire scheme in Toronto has been uncovered, where teenage gunmen were allegedly paid $1,000 per shooting job through phone apps, similar to ordering a pizza. Police are now investigating who paid them and where the money came from.
How the Scheme Worked
According to multiple sources, the going rate to hire a teen gunman was often $1,000 per assignment, tax-free. The young thugs were handsomely paid to spray bullets at their targets, but police have not yet revealed who paid them or whether the clients were local or international.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said detectives are "following every lead" to find out who is paying for this. Until these answers are known, Toronto remains in crisis because this form of terrorism and intimidation procurement is not all that expensive for those wanting to terrify.
Lucrative Business for Teens
At an average fee of $1,000 per job, the teens who terrorized the Jewish community or sent a statement to the American government for its support of Israel were making money with their shooting-for-hire business. One police officer described it as "very lucrative."
Based on two guns seized by Toronto Police in raids on Martha Eaton Way, the teens involved could have netted $27,000. Hardly worth the life of Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who was shot to death while part of an Emergency Task Force team executing a search warrant.
Arrests and Charges
Three teens have been arrested and are facing charges, while a fourth is the subject of a manhunt. The allegations against Nicholas Bennett, 18, Jayon Burgher, 18, Zara Jabbi, 19, and Sheldon Tracey-Stewart, 18, have not been tested in a court of law. They are to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
This enterprise is now shut down, and the style of doing business is not going to be as easy to pull off anymore. But the damage is already done.
Targets Hit
Several synagogues have been shot up, as well as the U.S. consulate and many properties connected to the GFL case, which included innocent victims. Some residences and businesses that had nothing to do with anything found themselves ducking rounds fired from masked gunmen.
According to a source, these guys allegedly were getting an address through encrypted messages where they were told where to shoot and how much they would receive. The problem is, sometimes they got the right address and sometimes they got the wrong one.
Investigation Continues
Police are investigating these kids who, sources say, would sit around and play shooting video games and wait for an address, then go off and light it up — not understanding or caring about the cause or purpose. They were delivery men for terror, operating in a way that resembled ordering a ride-sharing vehicle or delivery service.
But these criminals were, allegedly, delivering bullets. Police believe they were paid digitally, which makes it hard to trace, but not impossible. If this money was brought in from a foreign location and funneled through a middleman in the GTA, there are ways to track it.
Police were able to track down these alleged punks and some teens connected to a murder-for-hire hit on a tow trucker, Sulakshan "Sully" Selvasingam, who was slain at a gas station July 6, 2024. Now that they understand the scheme, police are sniffing around. There is lots to work with.
It is believed there may be up to 100 cases involving people hiring teen shooters to do their political, religious or business dirty work. With that many alleged crimes, a trail is not only left behind but can also be picked up by highly trained police.
So far, police have arrested some teens for their alleged part in this, which includes one of these guns potentially being used to allegedly slay Pinizzotto. The one charged with first-degree murder in that homicide is still recovering in hospital but will at some point face charges.
Next for police will be trying to determine who hired them and paid them. If police are able to use today's technology to build a case, the $1,000 per shooting they allegedly paid some kids to do will be far less than their lawyer fees.
