Two killed in mass shooting at Canada’s largest Latin street festival in Toronto, police say
Tragedy Strikes Toronto’s Premier Latin Celebration
Two killed in mass shooting at Canada – Police confirmed that two individuals lost their lives and multiple others sustained injuries during a violent exchange of gunfire that erupted among approximately 13,000 attendees at Toronto’s largest Latin street festival on Saturday. According to Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Frank Barredo, who addressed reporters at a late Saturday news conference, a total of six people were struck by bullets. Several suspects remain at large following the incident at the Salsa on St. Clair festival.
Victims and Investigation Details
Deputy Chief Barredo revealed that both deceased victims were male, while the four injured individuals were transported to local hospitals suffering from serious wounds. Law enforcement has established three separate crime scenes in the area and successfully recovered two firearms from the location. Barredo emphasized that there is currently no ongoing danger to the general public.
“This seemed to be an exchange of gunfire between two individuals targeting each other,” Barredo explained, noting that the shooting “indiscriminately put vast numbers of people in danger.”
Video footage captured by CTV showed festival attendees fleeing down sidewalks from the scene, which had been cordoned off with yellow police tape. Scores of black police SUVs and patrol cars, along with heavy-duty armored vehicles and ambulances, rushed toward the location as chaos unfolded.
Witness Accounts of the Chaos
Joanna Lavoie, a journalist covering the event for Canadian media outlet CP24, described how the atmosphere shifted dramatically once gunshots echoed through the crowd. Speaking to CP24, which operates as a CNN affiliate, Lavoie recounted witnessing a woman who appeared to have been shot and was experiencing significant injuries.
“Everyone was just in disbelief and fear. It was a terrifying situation. We’re here to have fun … we didn’t expect anything like this to happen, and it was the last thing we expected,” Lavoie shared with reporters.
Another attendee, Valerie Rodriguez, told the Associated Press that she was seated outside a restaurant when she heard screams and observed people running in panic. “A bunch of people … told us to lay down onto the floor,” she recalled, describing the sudden shift from celebration to survival mode.
Official Responses and Community Impact
Police secured the scene approximately one hour after the shooting began but continued to urge residents and visitors to avoid the midtown area. Organizers noted that this multiday celebration of Latin culture has been held annually for 22 years, making it a cornerstone event for the community.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow issued a strong condemnation of the violence, calling it “a reckless, despicable act of violence at a crowded festival.” She pledged that authorities would work tirelessly to identify all suspects involved. “I will ensure Toronto Police have every resource they need to find those responsible, and they will keep working around the clock to get guns off our streets,” the mayor stated in a message posted on X.
Both Mayor Chow and police officials are encouraging any festival attendees who captured footage or have relevant information to come forward and contact law enforcement.
National Reaction and Broader Context
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his deep sorrow in a public statement, saying he is “horrified” by the deadly shooting at the busy Toronto festival. “My prayers are with the families grieving their loved ones … and everyone who has been affected by this horrific event,” Carney wrote.
While deadly gun violence occurs less frequently in Canada than in the United States, it continues to impact communities across the nation. Less than three weeks prior to this incident, the country experienced another devastating mass shooting in Montreal. That event involved a gunman opening fire on civilians, followed by a subsequent shootout with police that resulted in two deaths and marked the first time a Montreal officer had been killed in the line of duty in twenty years.
The Toronto shooting occurred in a nation with considerably stronger gun legislation compared to the US, where mass shootings remain relatively uncommon. Following Canada’s deadliest shooting in 2020 in Nova Scotia, which claimed 22 lives, the government implemented significant reforms including bans on assault-style weapons.
This story has been updated with additional information. CNN’s Izzy Lippolis contributed to this report.