Jamie Sarkonak: Judge had no business granting bail to alleged U.S. Consulate shooter

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNP Comment Jamie Sarkonak: Judge had no business granting bail to alleged U.S. Consulate shooter He should have been held in jail on the grounds of maintaining confidence in the administration of justice Author of the article: By Jamie Sarkonak Published Sep 02, 2026 Last updated 14 hours ago 4 minute read Join the conversation Toronto Police officers work around the scene of a shooting at the US Consulate in Toronto, Canada, on March 10, 2026. PHOTO BY COLE BURSTON / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Article content We can’t know exactly why Ontario Superior Court Justice Heather McArthur decided on Thursday to uphold bail for a man accused of shooting up the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, but her reasons can’t make much sense. Perhaps she was compelled by some kind of sob story, or perhaps she convinced herself that whatever stern warning she gave against disobeying bail conditions would resonate with the alleged gun-for-hire. Who knows; that’s all covered by a publication ban. Article content Article content What is public inspires a whole lot of doubt in the justice system. The crime unfolded one morning in March at around 5:29 a.m.: shots were fired upon the U.S. Consulate by mystery men in a stolen car who filmed themselves in the act. It wasn’t until months later that those believed responsible were arrested. Article content RECOMMENDED VIDEOS Article content Right? The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture. Sign Up By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content First to be caught was 18-year-old Sheldon Tracey-Stewart, who was nabbed in early June during a series of police raids targeting the crime ring connected with the consulate shooting. This triumph was overshadowed by tragedy, however: Toronto police Const. Marc Pinizzotto was shot and killed by a subject of the raid, resulting in 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett being charged with murder. Article content It took another week to catch our man Zara Jabbi, who wasn’t home at the time of the raid. He was granted bail on July 7, just a few weeks later. (And thanks to Justice McArthur, he’ll continue to enjoy release.) Article content Despite the raids and arrests — and an increase in patrols — the U.S.…