A search continues for a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Toronto police officer as tributes pour in for Const. Marc Pinizzotto.
The 43-year-old died after being shot at a fourth-floor apartment building Thursday, as officers carried out an investigation into multiple shootings, including one at the U.S. Consulate in March.
Police say 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett faces a first-degree murder charge, while a second suspect, 19-year-old Zara Jabbi, is on the loose.
Hundreds of officers stood shoulder to shoulder, some wiping tears from their eyes in a procession Thursday that saw Pinizzotto’s body taken from Sunnybrook hospital to the office of the chief coroner.
There have been tributes from a number of officials, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
At the House of Commons Thursday, legislators began question period by grieving the fallen officer, saying Ottawa was supporting the investigation into his killing.
‘We’re in their debt forever’: Carney grieves deaths of 2 Ontario police officers
Mayor Chow, who said she’s known Pinizzotto’s mother for years, said she was grateful for the constable’s service, and his family’s grief was shared by the people of Toronto.
Premier Ford extended his condolences to Pinizzotto’s family and colleagues, saying in a post on X that the shooting was “a sobering reminder of the sacrifices and risks faced by police officers across Ontario every day as they work to keep our province safe.”
Several Toronto city councillors and Greater Toronto Area police services also released statements paying tribute to Pinizzotto Thursday.
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Pinizzotto’s death came days after Ontario Provincial Police Const. Tarun Bali was struck and killed by a vehicle near the northern Ontario town of Hearst, east of Thunder Bay. A procession transporting Bali to a funeral home in Thornhill was scheduled for Friday morning.
The CN Tower said its bright lights were expected to dim for the first five minutes of every hour on Thursday night.
