Two killed, several wounded in Toronto street festival shooting

Toronto police said a shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair festival in midtown Toronto left two people dead and six others wounded, forcing officers to lock down one of the city’s biggest Latin cultural gatherings. The violence unfolded near St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue at a free, family-friendly street festival that organizers had promoted as its 22nd annual celebration.

Police first warned of an active shooter at about 8:12 p.m., then later said they had secured the scene. Two people were pronounced dead at the location, and six people were found with gunshot wounds. The suspect or suspects remained outstanding, and no arrest had been made in the initial police update.

The festival, staged in Toronto’s Hillcrest Village and midtown St. Clair corridor, was scheduled for July 11-12, 2026. Organizers described TD Salsa on St. Clair as one of Toronto’s biggest Latin culture celebrations, drawing large crowds to a stretch of the city that is usually packed with music, food and family activities.

Toronto police planned a public update later Saturday night as investigators worked the scene. CBC News said officers had secured the area after the active shooter incident, while Global News noted that the warning came shortly before 8:30 p.m. and that police found six people with gunshot wounds. TorontoToday said officers responded to initial reports of an active shooter at 8:12 p.m.

The shooting turned a signature summer festival into a crime scene and put immediate pressure on police to explain how the attack developed in a dense public setting. With the shooter still at large and the full toll still being assessed, the incident became one of the most serious mass-casualty shootings reported at a Toronto street festival in recent years.