Two Killed, Four Wounded in Shooting at Toronto’s Salsa Street Festival
The shooting was reported at approximately 8:12 p.m. on Saturday near the intersection of St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue, where the annual Salsa on St. Clair festival was underway. The event celebrates Latin American culture through music, dancing, food and live performances and attracts thousands of visitors.
Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said the two people who died were men. Four additional victims suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital. Authorities had not publicly released their identities or detailed medical conditions by early Sunday.
Police initially warned that an active shooter could be operating in the area and urged the public to stay away. Officers later secured the scene and said their preliminary investigation indicated that two individuals had exchanged gunfire while apparently targeting one another.
“This was not an individual randomly moving through the festival shooting people,” police indicated. However, investigators stressed that the gunfire recklessly endangered large numbers of innocent festival-goers gathered along the busy street.
Police recovered two firearms and established several crime scenes in the area. No arrests had been announced by the time of a late-night police briefing, and authorities were still working to determine whether one or both of the deceased men had participated in the exchange of gunfire.
The shooting unfolded in front of a massive crowd, complicating the investigation. Local media reported that roughly 13,000 people were attending the festival when shots were fired. Investigators are expected to review large amounts of cellphone footage, security-camera recordings and witness statements.