Canadian police have charged a 54-year-old man in connection with a bomb threat against the U.S. Consulate in Halifax, the latest security incident involving an American diplomatic post in Canada after two shootings at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto this year. This was reported by infohub.kz.
According to Halifax police, a vehicle linked to the suspect was found near the consulate on Monday morning. The vehicle contained a propane tank and containers believed to hold flammable liquids. As a result, several streets in the city center were evacuated. Later, experts determined that the items in the vehicle posed no threat to public safety, and the evacuation was lifted Monday afternoon.
Police said the suspect, Ali Assakereh, was scheduled to appear in provincial court on charges of uttering threats and public mischief. They learned of the threat on Sunday night. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa declined to comment on the security matter while the police investigation was ongoing.
The Halifax incident follows two shootings this year at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, Canada's largest city. In March, two people fired multiple shots at the consulate building, causing damage but no injuries. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police described that attack as a national security incident.
On July 27, the consulate was targeted again when a shot was fired at the building. Toronto police later arrested a 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy, and said investigators were examining links to a broader gun-for-hire network. No one was injured. Authorities have not said there is any connection between the Halifax threat and the Toronto shootings.