Secretary of state Sahota says ‘foreign entity’ hired people to shoot at synagogues

OTTAWA — Ruby Sahota, the secretary of state for combatting crime, told the House of Commons this week that people who fired shots recently at synagogues were hired and paid by a “foreign entity.”

She suggested the shooters were recruited online and said that if authorities had been able to find them sooner, there would have been fewer victims.

Sahota made the comments Wednesday in response to a question about the government’s “lawful access” bill, which is intended to help police and spies navigate the online world.

Sahota said victims and police chiefs were asking why it has taken so long for the bill to get through the legislative process.

Sahota’s office did not immediately respond to a question about her remarks.

Police are investigating several shootings across the Greater Toronto Area allegedly linked to criminal-for-hire networks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.