Two people lost their lives and several others were injured in Canada after gunfire erupted during Toronto’s largest Latin street festival on Saturday, when at least two armed individuals reportedly exchanged shots in the midst of a packed crowd.
According to Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Frank Barredo, six people sustained gunshot wounds, while multiple suspects remain on the run.
Police established cordons around three separate crime scenes and recovered two firearms. Barredo, however, assured residents that there was no continuing danger to the public.
“This seemed to be an exchange of gunfire between two individuals targeting each other,” Barredo said.
Television footage from CTV showed frightened festival attendees running from the area as police SUVs, patrol vehicles, armored units and ambulances rushed to the scene, which had been sealed off with yellow police tape.
Authorities said the area was brought under control about an hour after the shooting started, but urged members of the public to avoid the location in Toronto’s midtown district.
The incident occurred during the annual Salsa on St. Clair festival, a long-running celebration of Latin culture that has been held for 22 years.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the violence and pledged full support for investigators.
“This was a reckless, despicable act of violence at a crowded festival. 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,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement on X.
Chow and police also appealed to anyone who attended the festival and may have recorded the incident or witnessed what happened to come forward with information.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed shock over the deadly attack, describing himself as deeply disturbed by the events.
“My prayers are with the families grieving their loved ones … and everyone who has been affected by this horrific event,” Carney wrote.
Although Canada experiences far fewer fatal shootings than the United States, gun violence continues to affect communities across the country.
The Toronto incident came less than three weeks after another deadly shooting in Montreal, where a gunman opened fire before a subsequent exchange with police left two people dead in broad daylight.
The incident also marked the first time in two decades that a Montreal police officer was killed in the line of duty.
Canada maintains significantly stricter firearm regulations than the United States, and mass shootings remain relatively uncommon.
Following the country’s deadliest mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020, in which 22 people were killed, the federal government introduced sweeping gun-control measures, including a ban on assault-style firearms.
