Two dead, several injured in mass shooting at popular festival in Toronto
At least two people are dead and several others injured after a wild gunfight broke out at a large Latin street festival in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday.
The violence erupted at the Salsa on St. Clair festival just after 8 p.m., Toronto Police Service said in a statement on X.
Five people were being treated for gunshot wounds, police said. The two killed were tragically declared dead at the scene. The conditions of the wounded were not immediately known.
Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo quelled earlier fears of an active shooter at a late-night news conference.
“This seemed to be an exchange of gunfire between two individuals targeting each other,” Barredo said.
“There was some concern about an active shooter. That turned out not to be the case,” he added.
Two firearms were recovered from the scene but no suspects had been identified and no arrests had been made, the deputy chief confirmed.
It is not yet known if the victims were involved in the shooting.
Barredo estimated that as many as 13,000 people were enjoying the festivities when the gunshots rang out and urged anyone with cellphone footage or information to come forward to the police.
Mayor of Toronto Olivia Chow said she is “disgusted and angered” following the senseless acts of violence.
“This was a reckless, despicable act of violence at a crowded festival,” she said.
“I will ensure Toronto Police have every resource they need to find those responsible, and they will keep working around the clock to get guns off our streets.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Mike Colle described the shooting as “gangster violence.”
“These thugs must be caught,” Colle said at the news conference.
The Salsa on St. Clair festival is expected to continue tomorrow as planned, but police have secured three active crime scenes.
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A local Canadian reporter who was attending the festival recalled hearing “multiple” gunshots ring out.
“Of course, as we always hear when there are shootings, some people thought they were fireworks,” CBC reporter Lorenda Reddekopp said.
Festival attendees did not initially react to the gunshots, but after a few seconds, people began to flee the scene, according to Reddekopp.
Another off-duty CBC producer enjoying the festival described the aftermath of the shooting as chaotic, adding that several parents in the crowd were “shielding” their children from the violence as they fled the scene.
“People were falling over each other, running into restaurants, knocking over patio furniture,” he said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued an impassioned statement in the aftermath of the bloodbath.
“I am devastated by the senseless violence at the Salsa on St. Clair Festival that has claimed two lives and injured others,” Ford wrote on X.
“The person responsible must be caught, brought to justice and spend the rest of their life behind bars,” he demanded.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected. Thank you to Toronto Police and our first responders for responding to this horrific incident.”
Ford thanked the Toronto Police and first responders who responded to the “horrific incident.”
The Toronto celebration is Canada’s largest Latin street festival — drawing in as many as 340,000 people across the two-day free event.
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