logo
episode-header-image
Today
24m 47s

Alleged gun-for-hire network behind cons...

CBC
About this episode

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

Up next
Yesterday
How Andrew Tate made abuse a business
Andrew Tate – the controversial British-American influencer, and self-described misogynist – has millions of followers around the world.He often tells young men that they’re victims of a feminized society and that they need to reclaim their “natural masculine imperative for power ... Show More
31m 26s
Jun 17
Inside Ukraine’s kill zone
Reporter Francis Farrell of the Kyiv Independent recently took a harrowing journey alongside a group of Ukrainian soldiers into what they describe as the kill zone.They travelled by foot down a long road swarmed by drones, littered with shell casings and bombed out vehicles. He c ... Show More
33m 17s
Jun 16
A changed Iran emerges from war
This week, after more than a hundred days of fighting, the United States and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to end the war, set to be signed in Geneva this Friday. This deal is meant to end the fighting, open the Strait of Hormuz and as U.S. President Donald Trump put ... Show More
29m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
Israel in Lebanon, VP Debate Tonight, Recovering From Helene
Israel moves troops into Lebanon despite calls from the White House for a diplomatic resolution. Tim Walz and JD Vance are preparing for their first and only debate tonight in what may be the last time the campaigns face off on stage. Hundreds of people are still reported missing ... Show More
46m 55s
Mar 2025
The Long Shadow of Duterte's Drug War
With the recent arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity, a spotlight is again on actions taken during his presidency. Even years after Duterte declared his war on drugs, the reverberations continue to tear through the country. The loved o ... Show More
29m 29s
Feb 2024
VREP #407 | The Next Land Rush? Historic Zoning Changes Coming to B.C. with Prof. Tom Davidoff
Did the province just incite the next land rush? Municipalities have until June 30th to revamp single family zoned real estate across the province. Density is coming. But what does that mean for land values? And did we just witness the death of the single family home?Associate Pr ... Show More
54m 35s
Aug 2025
The Drug You’ve Never Heard of Wreaking Havoc Across Europe
Europe has mostly been spared from the synthetic opioid crisis that has ravaged the U.S. over the past two decades. But now, a deadly new drug could be changing that: nitazenes. Up to 15 times stronger than fentanyl, nitazenes have been behind hundreds of overdose deaths in Europ ... Show More
19m 46s
Mar 2025
Hezbollah’s Vote of Confidence & What It Means
Sometimes, it feels like nothing happens for a very long time. But Lebanon is not in one of those times. Right now, events are unfolding so quickly, and the sheer volume of noise from all sides them makes it easy to miss the massive shift in the balance of power that’s taking pla ... Show More
14m 2s