Probes into Toronto’s shooter-for-hire network thwarted by impenetrable phone, police source says

Police survey the scene after shots were fired at the U.S. consulate in Toronto on March 10. Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail

Investigations into a series of shootings in Toronto have been stymied because a key cellphone that was seized in connection with the case is running on a privacy-focused operating system and investigators have so far been unable to unlock the device, according to a police source.

Police believe the cellphone may contain communications and other data that could point to those responsible for ordering the shootings, including the March attack on the U.S. consulate, the source added.

In June, police launched a series of raids in response to the attack, as well as others on synagogues and local businesses in Toronto. An officer was killed in those operations and several suspects were arrested.