TORONTO (AP) — Toronto police said Tuesday that a series of shootings targeting synagogues and the U.S. Consulate in Toronto have been linked to a sophisticated gun-for-hire network operating in the city.

Police Chief Myron Demkiw said investigators believe criminal networks recruited young adults through encrypted messaging platforms, paying them to carry out shootings and requiring video proof of the attacks before payment was made.

Authorities said several shootings at synagogues were connected to the same network that allegedly orchestrated the March shooting at the U.S. Consulate, raising concerns that the attacks were intended to intimidate and spread fear within Toronto’s Jewish community.

“What we know is bad actors are using criminal elements in our city to carry out these dangerous incidents,” Demkiw said. “It is clear that some of the people hiring these criminals want to create a sense of fear in our communities, including the Jewish community.”

Investigators from Toronto Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the FBI are working to identify those behind the alleged gun-for-hire operation. Police said two firearms linked to more than 25 shootings in the Toronto area were traced to the United States, though ballistics testing remains ongoing.

The investigation intensified after Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was fatally shot during a raid tied to the case last week. A 19-year-old suspect, Nicholas Bennett, remains hospitalized and is expected to face a first-degree murder charge.

Police are also searching for 19-year-old Zara Jabbi, who is wanted in connection with the shooting at the U.S. Consulate and is considered armed and dangerous.

Authorities said the investigation remains active as officials work to determine who financed and directed the attacks.