Gunmen open fire at Toronto Latino festival, leaving 2 dead, 6 injured

Two people were killed, and six others were injured after gunfire broke out Saturday evening during Toronto's annual Salsa on St. Clair festival, prompting a large emergency response and a multi-scene police investigation.

Toronto police said the shooting happened at about 8:12 pm near the intersection of St. Clair and Arlington avenues, where roughly 13,000 people had gathered for the Latino cultural festival. Two men were pronounced dead at the scene. Five other victims suffered gunshot wounds, while another person was taken to the hospital with injuries that police have not yet specified.

Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said investigators believe the shooting stemmed from an exchange between individuals: “There seemed to be an exchange of gunfire between individuals targeting each other,” Barredo said during a news conference.

Four of the injured remained hospitalized with serious injuries, according to police. Authorities said it was still unclear whether either of the suspected gunmen was among those killed or wounded. Investigators also had not confirmed Saturday night whether any suspects remained outstanding.

Police recovered two firearms and established three separate crime scenes as detectives began gathering evidence. Barredo said the investigation is expected to be "complex."

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the violence, noting the festival is attended by families and children: “I’m deeply disturbed and angry about this reckless, irresponsible act of violence right in the middle of a festival,” she said at the news conference.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as people fled after hearing gunfire. Pamela Garcia told CP24 she heard three shots before seeing people screaming and running through the crowd.

Another attendee, Jacy Lin, said she was near the festival's salsa stage when people suddenly rushed in her direction. She said police quickly arrived, the music was stopped, and festivalgoers began leaving the area.

“I was walking from here and there was like a yellow tape, and I saw a bunch of paramedics coming down with a man and they were just doing CPR,” Lin said. “And he had like an oxygen tank and everything, and he didn’t look well.”

Salsa on St. Clair is an annual two-day celebration of Latino culture featuring live music.