As the search for a suspect in the fatal shooting of a 43-year-old Toronto police officer continues, the family of Const. Marc Pinizzotto is grappling with the immeasurable loss — his mother trying to channel the breadth of her grief into a moving homage to her son on Instagram.
In a post on Friday morning, Linda Pinizzotto called him one of her “extraordinary sons” and “everyone’s hero.”
“His passing echoes deep inside us, our loving family is shattered as we search for words. We struggle to find sleep and solace in the darkness as our grief lingers, it is impossible,” she wrote, her pain palpable in the heart wrenching words.
She went on to call him an incredible father, son, husband, coach and friend to many.
“His devastating passing, the cruel heartbreak of reality has brought us to our knees,” she continued. “Our family must find peace, somehow accept and stand proud of his decisions and amazing accomplishments.”
“Marc is our beacon of hope, guiding us with his message to bring an end to violence and unite our brotherhood in a quest for peace,” she added, before thanking Mayor Olivia Chow, Chief Myron Demkiw, the staff at Sunnybrook hospital and all members of the police, fire and paramedic services.
Pinizzotto 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. It is believed he was the first officer through the door.
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.
The Special Investigations Unit has invoked its mandate and said one of the suspects discharged his firearm at Pinizzotto. Thereafter a second officer discharged his firearm and struck Bennett, who is now in the hospital.
Tributes poured in from Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Chow posted on X saying the death of the 18-year police force veteran “is heartbreaking news for our city.”
“There are no words that can ease the pain for the officer’s family, loved ones, and colleagues across the service. This grief is shared across the entire city. Police officers go to work every day knowing the risks, putting themselves in harm’s way to protect others, and today is a devastating reminder of that sacrifice,” she said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford extended his condolences to the family and fellow Toronto police service members on X as well.
“Today is a sobering reminder of the sacrifices and risks faced by police officers across Ontario every day as they work to keep our province safe.”
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.
Prime Minister Mark Carney posted a tribute to both fallen officers on X.
“Canada mourns the loss of these brave officers who dedicated their lives to protecting their communities. My prayers are with their loved ones, their fellow officers, and their communities in this time of grief,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference hours after Pinizzotto’s passing in hospital on Thursday, an emotional Chief Demkiw expressed his grief and solidarity with the officer’s family and the larger policing family.
“This loss will have a profound impact on the Toronto police family. Our service, our members, and all members of the larger policing family are deeply saddened,” he said.
“No words can capture the impact on Marc’s family, who expected him to come home today. We, as a service, will support them and each other.”
At a procession Thursday that saw Pinizzotto’s body taken from Sunnybrook hospital to the office of the chief coroner, hundreds of officers stood shoulder to shoulder, some wiping tears from their eyes.
Toronto’s most prominent landmark, the CN Tower, dimmed its bright lights for the first five minutes of every hour on Thursday night in memory of the fallen officer.
With files from The Canadian Press

DUBLIN — Two contrasting ways of dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump are set to politely collide this weekend, when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney makes his first official visit to Ireland.
Carney has been embroiled in a clash with Trump since taking office last year. The president frequently insults his Canadian counterpart and has even floated the idea of making America’s neighbor to the north its 51st state. In response to the relentless shellacking, the prime minister has taken to promoting the idea of a world in which smaller democracies band together to resist bullying by the big powers.
But that message is unlikely to be embraced fully by Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who is set to meet Carney in Dublin before the Canadian leader travels to his ancestral home in County Mayo. Ireland is a country that is dedicated to schmoozing Washington and is reluctant to do anything that could undermine the great pains it has taken to stay on the U.S. president’s good side.
“We will be resolutely and sincerely pro-Canada. We will just as resolutely avoid saying a syllable that might be construed in any way as critical of Donald Trump or his administration,” an Irish government official helping to plan Carney’s visit told POLITICO.
“We’re all about building bridges and staying out of any unnecessary fights,” said the official, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about Ireland’s diplomatic realpolitik.
“It wouldn’t be in our interests to criticize any ally or any partner — but particularly not America with Canada in town,” the official added. “We are hugely dependent on staying in America’s good graces and I’m sure Mark Carney understands that well.”
The rationale for Irish obsequiousness is grounded in the reality that Ireland today serves as an American corporate satellite off the coast of Europe.
While Canada is keen to transform its economy to be less dependent on U.S. tech giants, Ireland can’t imagine a world without them. The country is home to nearly 1,000 U.S. multinationals — among them, a Who’s Who of top American tech, pharma and medical companies — who have been wooed here, in part, by low taxes.
That concentration of U.S. firms funds nearly a fifth of Irish wages, even more of its tax base, and has transformed tiny Ireland into an export superpower. Much of the goods produced, particularly in pharma, go back to the U.S. market rather than into the EU, producing one of America’s biggest trade imbalances.
And the Irish tax take from U.S. companies based here keeps hitting record highs despite Trump policies designed to reverse the flow.
While the economic ties that bind Dublin and Washington are fundamental, the Irish have forged more humble links with Ottawa, with only 75 Canadian companies operating from Ireland.
And the Irish haven’t done much to change that dynamic. Ireland is among the EU laggards in ratifying the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the decade-old treaty seeking to boost business between Canada and Europe that has been provisionally in force since 2017.
That status quo may finally change this weekend. After years pledging to complete the CETA’s ratification “soon,” Martin is expected to announce that move during Carney’s visit.
The land of 100,000 welcomes
The Irish are famous for their hospitality, and have used it to their advantage by charming American leaders with Irish roots going back to the ’60s. During past presidential visits to the island, authorities delighted John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and even Barack Obama by highlighting their familial ties to the country. Most recently, County Mayo rolled out the red carpet for Joe Biden, who hails on his mother’s side from Ballina.
The Irish are going much the same distance to dazzle Carney. The prime minister first will be honored at a state dinner in Dublin Castle on Saturday, then attend a series of receptions in Mayo, most crucially in Aghagower, from where his grandparents Robert and Nora Carney emigrated to Quebec in 1925. He’s expected to attend Mass in St. Patrick’s Church in the crossroads village and learn about the Carney clan buried in the adjoining cemetery.
According to the Mayo News, the Canadian leader has a few first cousins and 21 second cousins waiting to meet him; the Irish Times, for its part, puts the count at 22. One of Aghagower’s local business boosters has told Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ, that Carney’s greeting will be “just as huge as JFK and President Biden.”
Underscoring their non-partisan dedication to buttering up foreign leaders, Irish authorities are already at work planning a similarly warm reception for Trump. This September the U.S. president is expected to travel to his golf resort in County Clare, which is hosting the Irish Open.
“This weekend we will give Prime Minister Carney all the admiration and respect we can muster,” the Irish official told POLITICO. “Come September, if he does come for the golf, we’ll do the same for Donald Trump. Protecting our interests means we provide céad míle fáilte [Irish for ‘100,000 welcomes’] to all our guests.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Paris, where he is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the G7 summit next week.
A government official who briefed reporters ahead of the trip framed the meeting as Canada passing the G7 presidency baton to France and said the leaders will likely discuss how to advance a strategic partnership between the two countries.
The prime minister will meet Macron at the Palais de l’Elysée on Friday evening, where the leaders will deliver joint statements.
Carney will also hold a news conference before attending a dinner held by Macron.
Explainer: How close is Carney to achieving his top promises? Here’s a status report
Sen. Peter Boehm, who served as personal representative for prime ministers Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau for six G7 summits, said Carney’s pre-summit visit with Macron offers an opportunity for the two leaders to strategize.
He added that Carney is expected to demonstrate “pragmatic diplomacy” at the international event, given how his recent Davos speech drew widespread international interest.
In his speech at the World Economic Forum in January, Carney said the world has entered a risky new age of great power rivalries and that Canada is working to expand non-U.S. trade in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies.
The bilateral meeting could be one of the last between the two leaders, as Macron’s second term in office is set to end in May 2027. Boehm said the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains will mark Macron’s tenth and final G7 summit as president.
The G7 member hosting the summit is responsible for setting priorities for the year and organizing ministerial meetings.
The government of France says priorities at the summit will include settling major geopolitical crises, including through G7 support to Ukraine, crime and online protection for children.
Opinion: Europe is flailing, so why would Canada hitch its wagon to the EU?
Earlier this year, French lawmakers approved a bill banning social media for children under 15. The idea of setting a minimum age for use of the platforms has gained momentum across Europe.
The Liberal government introduced its own online safety legislation this week. If passed, it would require social media companies to block access for kids under 16, though platforms will be able to obtain an exemption if they put sufficient safeguards in place.
Bill C-34, introduced Wednesday in the House of Commons, would also regulate the companies behind AI chatbots by imposing on them a duty to act responsibly. That includes measures to lower the risk of chatbots communicating harmful content and putting in place crisis intervention protocols for cases involving self-harm, suicide or violence.
Macron applauded the move on social media Thursday, saying “thanks for joining the movement.”
Looking ahead to the summit, Boehm said there’s always some carry-on elements from previous years.
“The discussions at Kananaskis on artificial intelligence, for example, and on the global economy will have an impact on the discussions at Evian as well,” he said.
A Canadian government official said this week there will likely not be a comprehensive final communiqué from leaders at the end of the summit.
They said people can instead expect issue-specific statements from leaders throughout the event.
Boehm said the decision to publish several individual declarations, rather than one, is likely due to Trump.
“I think that’s a very big factor, because what’s the point of trying to get consensus when what you’re doing is watering down what you’ve got and then you’re not credible,” he said, adding that statements could be about online harms, AI or various global issues.
Boehm said the geopolitical scene will also be a discussion at the summit, given the ongoing war in the Middle East while the U.S. Agency for International Development has been “gutted” by the Trump administration.
France is Canada’s third-largest merchandise export market in the European Union and its fifth-largest source of foreign investment.

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OTTAWA — The federal government will be tabling a bill in the coming days to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariff threats on forced labour imports.
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Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand put a bill entitled “An Act respecting the prohibition of the importation of goods produced by forced labour” on notice on Wednesday.
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Government bills are usually put on notice at least 48 hours before they are introduced in the House of Commons, so it could be tabled as soon as Friday.
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Officials in Anand’s office were not immediately available to explain what this legislation would entail, but Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government had been looking at ways to “reinforce” its current regime to better stop imports of slavery-made goods.
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In question period, Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong asked why the government is introducing a new bill if the government is insisting it already has “strong measures” to combat the importation of products made by forced labour.
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“Canada already has strong protections in place. We will take further action to strengthen them through new legislation,” said Anand’s parliamentary secretary, Mona Fortier.
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The government has been forced to respond to this issue after the Trump administration said that several countries, including Canada, will be hit with 10 per cent additional tariffs for failing to effectively enforce their respective bans on imports made with forced labour.
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Canada already has an import prohibition on goods that are manufactured or produced wholly or in part by forced labour, through an amendment to its customs tariff in compliance with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
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But the U.S. is arguing that Canada has done too little to stop those imports, pointing to publicly accessible information that shows that, since 2020, only two imports coming into the country were determined to have been produced using forced labour.
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In total, 50 shipments were either intercepted or detained. A spokeswoman for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Karine Martel, said those shipments consisted of solar panels, automotive parts, textile goods, agricultural products and frozen seafood.
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The two that were found to have been produced with forced labour were a 2024 shipment containing textile products and a 2025 shipment containing frozen seafood, said Martel, adding that both came from China.
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“The remaining shipments were either permitted entry upon receipt and review of additional supply chain information, abandoned by the importer, or re-exported out of Canada prior to the CBSA making a formal determination,” she said.
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Martel said that importers are responsible for ensuring that any goods they are bringing into Canada are compliant with Canadian law.
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Carney said last week that the U.S. actions are “not a surprise” as the trade investigation had been going on for months and that CUSMA would protect Canada from most tariffs.
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But he insisted that Canada agrees with the U.S. goal of stopping forced labour imports and would use its influence to eliminate this practice.
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As Canada and the U.S. hammer out trade negotiations, Minister Responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc said Canada is “not an idle spectator” as the clock winds down to agree on the long-term renewal of the North American trade framework.
On July 1, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA) can be either maintained for 16 more years or move to annual reviews.
This comes one day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he is “not looking to renew” CUSMA, and added: “We don’t need anything [that] Canada has, we don’t need anything that Mexico has, but they need everything that we have, and they have to treat us better.”
LeBlanc spoke Thursday at the 2026 US-Canada Summit in Toronto, and was asked about the current trade negotiations.
“I remain optimistic. I think the prime minister is prepared to do the work we need to do,” LeBlanc said.
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“We’re not waiting for that process as an idle spectator. We have put before the United States, before President Trump, some very specific offers that we think are in the interest of the United States economy and the Canadian economy.”
LeBlanc also said the July 1 deadline is “not a cliff that everybody goes hurtling off,” and explained that it’s more of a point in time where Canada, the U.S. and Mexico could potentially extend the agreement by up to 16 years, unless it is replaced with an entirely new trade framework.
The U.S. and Mexico have spoken regarding a renewal, with two more rounds of talks scheduled for next week and late July.
LeBlanc was in Washington earlier this month for trade talks, and ahead of the meetings, his office sent a letter formally requesting to extend CUSMA another 16 years.
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“This Agreement is highly beneficial to each of our countries and to the integrated North American economy,” Leblanc said in the letter.
“The growth and success brought forward by our historic trilateral trade agreement is why I am confirming that Canada recommends renewal of the agreement for another sixteen years.”
Speaking at the conference on Thursday, LeBlanc highlighted the “unique” challenges in working with Trump and his team in the negotiations, and that Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump have a “very businesslike” relationship.
“President Trump is an experienced negotiator. He has a style that’s unique to a category of one, and that’s fine,” LeBlanc said.
“I’m encouraged because in the conversations I’ve seen between the prime minister and the president, and the prime minister sometimes talks to us about quite an active, informal conversation that he maintains with the president. They’re very businesslike.”
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra also spoke at the conference and said Canada needs to be aggressive in these negotiations.
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“I think Canada should optimistically look at this, and for all of the resources that you have and the capabilities that you have and the talent that you have, go into these negotiations very aggressively,” he said.
“I think every time we’ve met with the Canadian government, the president has always kind of closed the meetings off or consistently said through the meetings, ‘Make us an offer.’”
LeBlanc later said that a sense of certainty can feel fleeting at times when it comes to Trump, but his team is navigating through it.
“President Trump’s style is not one to give eternal certainty. So again, our job is to accept that and do what we have to to ensure that Canadian business and the Canadian economy navigate through that.”