The RCMP said the investigation would try to determine how Driver was able to manufacture explosives while the subject of a terrorism peace bond, but Deputy Commissioner Mike Cabana said it was “relatively easy” to find bomb recipes on the Internet.
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Police said they were tipped off by the American authorities at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Maria Pereira, who lives next door to Driver’s home where RCMP shot and killed Driver, said heard a loud explosion coming from her neighbour’s yard Monday afternoon. and then she called police. Brenda Carreiro said. “We’re baffled”.
Police said Mr. Driver first came to their attention in December 2014, when they received a complaint about comments he had posted on social media.
“We actively engaged relevant Canadian law enforcement and security agencies, asking them to exercise an increased level of vigilance and to be on the lookout for anything that appeared somewhat suspicious”, Cabana said. Police said they were responding to “a potential terrorist threat”.
Police said at the news conference that Driver had not been under constant surveillance, but had been monitored.
In the video, the man wears a black balaclava citing the Koran, speaking of crimes against Muslims and speaking of an attack on a Canadian city.
Irene Lee, whose parents own a convenience store near Driver’s home, said police arrived on the quiet residential street shortly after 4 pm ET (2000 GMT) and quickly surrounded the house.
However, public transit operators in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, were sent a warning about a potential attack just hours before the police operation. Regional transit lines were also advised of a security threat. “You will pay for everything you ever brought against us”.
Meanwhile, the news agency used by Islamic State to distribute press releases and propaganda said Driver was a “soldier” of the group.
The federal Liberal government has committed upwards of $500 million towards various police, security and border control measures, as well as a counter-radicalization program ramping up this summer, said Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale.
In March a year ago, Canada said it had foiled a plot by a self-proclaimed Islamic State supporter to bomb the US consulate and other buildings in Toronto’s financial district.
Driver had been under a court order not to associate with any terrorist organizations, among other restrictions.
Mounties applied for the peace bond that could impose limits on Driver’s activities, alleging in provincial court documents that investigators believed he might help with terrorist group activities.
His bond conditions drew criticism from the Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties.
Later, the Crown announced that some of his strict bail conditions had been lifted and that he would not be going to trial.
The last time Canada experienced Islamic terrorism was in October 2014, when a gunman killed a soldier at Ottawa’s national war memorial and, later on, the Canadian Parliament, killing one soldier and wounding another.
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“All of the involved agencies took immediate action as soon as the information was received, and thanks to the timely response and hard work of everyone that was involved, including all of our RCMP employees and partners, tragedy was prevented”.
