It’s a high-profile investigation drawing the world’s attention, stretching police resources and placing pressure on Toronto’s homicide squad.

This much was said in the wake of the deaths of billionaire pharmaceutical magnate Barry Sherman and his philanthropist wife Honey, killed in their home last December under still-mysterious circumstances.

It was echoed only weeks later, when police announced the arrest of Bruce McArthur, an alleged serial killer who stands accused of killing eight men since 2010, dismembering and burying some of their bodies in planters at a Leaside home.

Now, in the wake of Monday’s van rampage, Toronto police homicide investigators are yet again probing a major incident on the world stage, one involving mass casualties and injuries. Alek Minassian, 25, stands accused of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 14 counts of attempted murder.

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“I can’t recall a time when there have been three high-profile murders of this magnitude in such a short period of time,” said Mark Mendelson, a former Toronto police homicide investigator.

Much of the considerable work that lies ahead requires strength in numbers, Mendelson said, and at a news conference Tuesday, police Chief Mark Saunders said “the GTA collectively called to pitch in.”

Acknowledging that the ongoing investigation is taking place on a stretch of “the busiest strip in the country,” Saunders said outside agencies stepped up to help in the vital hours, aiding to expedite the probe without compromising it.

A 25-year-old who plowed a van into a crowded Toronto sidewalk was ordered held Tuesday on 10 counts of murder 13 of attempted murder. (The Associated Press)

Specialized traffic reconstruction resources were provided by York Regional Police, Peel Regional Police and the Ontario Provincial Police to help perform a complete reconstruction of the van’s path. Officers are collecting evidence aimed at determining everything from where the van travelled, the speed at which it drove, where the vehicle mounted the curb, the location where each person was struck, and more.

Officers will still have a massive task ahead after the initial collection of evidence at the scene is completed — including finishing the grim task of identifying the deceased. Dr. Dirk Huyer, chief coroner for Ontario, told a news conference Tuesday that it will be several days before his office can finalize the process of identification, though some families have been notified that their loved one is likely dead.

Officers will also have to get statements from victims and witnesses as well as sift through reams of photo and video collected from the scene and surveillance footage from nearby businesses. Toronto police have set up a special web portal for anyone to upload images or video from the scene.

The wealth of video in this case, some of it already posted to social media, will be a huge asset to the investigation, but will extremely time consuming to go through, Mendelson said.

Investigators are also now seeking judicial authorizations, including production orders, which will allow officers to search Minassian’s home and likely, his cellphone and any computers he might have. Det.-Sgt. Graham Gibson, the lead homicide cop on the case, would not comment on whether police had already gained access to Minassian’s residence.

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In short, much work lies ahead.

“As you can imagine the investigation is extremely detailed, and ongoing,” Gibson told reporters Tuesday.

Asked if police resources were stretched from what is now three large-scale investigations in recent months, Saunders said he is “very comfortable” with where he stands.

“Everybody steps up to the plate in time of need,” Saunders said.

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