Toronto police search for suspects after deadly festival shooting

Police are searching for suspects after gunfire tore through Toronto’s Salsa on St. Clair festival, killing two people and injuring at least four others as about 13,000 attendees filled the Latin culture event near St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue. Investigators said they recovered two firearms and were working through at least three crime scenes as the festival’s final day was cancelled because of the police investigation.

The shooting broke out shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, during the annual two-day celebration of Latin culture in Canada’s largest city. Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said the evidence pointed to an exchange of gunfire between two people targeting each other, rather than a random active shooter.

The collapse of a family-friendly street festival into a deadly crime scene cut directly against the purpose of the event, which draws music, dancing and crowds to one of the city’s marquee summer gatherings. Mayor Olivia Chow called the violence a “reckless” act, and Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “horrified” by the shooting and backed police efforts to apprehend those responsible.

The attack also sharpened attention on Toronto’s wider violence problem. Toronto police data showed at least 33 shootings in the city as of July 5, 2026, and the service’s public shootings and firearm-discharges dashboard is updated weekly. With two people dead, a major Latin festival closed early and families sent running for safety, the episode has become another test of whether the city can keep major public celebrations open while still convincing residents and organizers that those spaces remain secure.