Two killed, three wounded in Toronto salsa festival shooting

Two people were killed and three others wounded when gunfire erupted shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday at the Salsa on St. Clair festival in Midtown Toronto, police said. Toronto police first described the scene near St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue as an active shooter situation before later saying it had been secured.

The shooting struck the opening night of the 22nd annual TD Salsa on St. Clair, a free two-day celebration scheduled for July 11-12, 2026. Festival listings described the event as a family-oriented Latin culture gathering with live music, dance, food, performances and programming along St. Clair Avenue West in Hillcrest Village. Another listing placed the celebration at St. Clair Ave. W. and Winona Dr., underscoring how the shooting hit the heart of one of Toronto’s best-known street festivals.

Toronto police said five people were found with gunshot wounds and two were pronounced dead at the scene. The casualty count remained fluid in the early hours after the attack, with some initial reports putting the number of injured at six. At the time of the reports, no suspect had been publicly identified and no arrests had been announced.

The festival has long been promoted as one of Toronto’s biggest Latin culture celebrations and Canada’s largest Latin street festival, drawing crowds for a public event built around music, dancing and family activity. That sense of openness was shattered within minutes as police urged people to stay away from the area and emergency crews responded to the block around St. Clair West.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on social media that he was “devastated by the senseless violence” and said the person responsible had to be caught and brought to justice. Toronto police continued their investigation as officers worked the scene and tried to piece together what led to the shooting at a festival designed to showcase community life rather than fear.