Two Dead, Four Wounded in Shooting at Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair Festival
Gunfire erupted at a popular Latin street festival in Toronto on Saturday evening, leaving two men dead and at least four others with serious injuries. Police say an exchange of gunfire between two individuals occurred amid a crowd of more than 13,000 attendees.
Two Dead, Four Wounded in Shooting at Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair Festival
Two men were killed and at least four other people suffered serious injuries when shots rang out at the Salsa on St. Clair festival in Toronto on Saturday evening, bringing a violent end to one of the city's largest Latin cultural celebrations.
The gunfire erupted around the annual street festival on St. Clair Avenue West, where more than 13,000 people had gathered for music and dancing. According to Toronto deputy police chief Frank Barredo, investigators believe an exchange of gunfire took place between two individuals. Officers recovered two firearms at the scene.
"Two males have been pronounced dead," Barredo told reporters. He added that four additional victims were transported to local hospitals with serious wounds.
Police had initially described the incident as a possible active shooter situation, but Barredo later clarified that "does not appear to be the case." He said investigators had not ruled out the possibility that more people may have been involved beyond the two main suspects. At the time of the reports, no arrests had been made.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as festivalgoers realized the sounds were gunshots rather than fireworks. One attendee, Jason Ferda, said he initially thought the noises were part of the celebration. "I was scared, I left," he told Yahoo News Canada. Another witness told Taipei Times that the crowd suddenly began running toward the stage before police arrived and stopped the music. "Everything happened so fast," the witness said.
The violence prompted immediate cancellation of the festival. Business owners and residents along St. Clair Avenue West expressed shock and grief as the normally vibrant neighbourhood grappled with the aftermath.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on social media that he was "horrified by the shooting." He offered prayers for the grieving families and praised police officers and first responders "whose courage and fast action prevented further tragedy." Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she was "deeply disturbed and angry about this reckless and irresponsible act of violence right in the middle of a festival attended by families, children, seniors."
Late Sunday, Toronto's CN Tower dimmed its lights in tribute to the victims.
The Salsa on St. Clair festival is an annual event that draws thousands of attendees to celebrate Latin music, dance and culture in the heart of the city's Corso Italia neighbourhood.
Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)