Two killed in shooting at Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair festival

Six people were found with gunshot wounds after gunfire erupted Saturday evening at Toronto’s Salsa on St. Clair festival, and two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Toronto police said the shooting happened near St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue, turning a crowded Latin street celebration into a major emergency in midtown Toronto.

Police first warned of an active shooter around 8:12 p.m. and urged the public to stay away while officers and Toronto Paramedic Services worked at the scene. The force later said the area had been secured, but the suspect or suspects remained outstanding. Several wounded patients were taken to hospital as officers maintained a large presence in the neighborhood.

The violence struck during the annual Salsa on St. Clair festival, a weekend event celebrating Latin culture that has been held for 22 years. It is described as Canada’s largest Latin street festival, and hundreds of people had gathered on the warm summer night when the gunfire began. The sudden shift from a street festival to a crime scene left the area ringed with police activity as investigators tried to piece together what happened.

Doug Ford condemned the attack and said he was “devastated” by the violence. The Ontario premier called for the person responsible to be caught and brought to justice as the search for the suspect continued. The shooting added a grim end to a celebration that had drawn families, performers and festivalgoers to one of the city’s busiest summer street events.