Shooting near Toronto street festival kills 2 people, wounds 5, police say
A shooting near a Toronto street festival killed two people and wounded five on Saturday, prompting police to warn of an active shooter before later saying the scene was secure.
Toronto Police spokesperson Shannon Eames said there were two deceased and five others with gunshot wounds after the shooting near St Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue, where the Salsa on St Clair Festival was underway.
Officers urged the public to avoid the area while they responded. Police later said the scene had been secured but cautioned that a suspect or suspects had not been apprehended. Valerie Rodriguez said she was sitting next to a restaurant on Saturday night when she saw people screaming and running.
“A bunch of people … told us to lay down onto the floor,” she said. “We got scared because we didn’t know exactly what was happening.”
Patsy Gutierrez, a vendor at the festival, said she was serving customers when she saw “a huge wave” of people running.
“Everybody started getting frantic and then we stopped serving,” she said. “I don’t think it should be something that’s happening in these types of events.”
A large police presence remained in the area near the festival, an annual celebration of Latin American culture that draws thousands of people to the city’s St Clair West neighborhood for live music, dancing, food and cultural performances.
“I am devastated by the senseless violence at the Salsa on St. Clair Festival that has claimed two lives and injured others,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a social media post. “My thoughts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected.”
Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is among North America’s safest major cities. Fatal shootings, particularly those involving multiple victims in public, are relatively rare.
