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Two killed in mass shooting at Canada’s largest Latin street festival in Toronto, police say
🇪🇬 Egypt /Crime & Justice

Two killed in mass shooting at Canada’s largest Latin street festival in Toronto, police say

From Egypt Independent · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Two people were killed and four others injured in a mass shooting at Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair street festival.
  • The incident involved an exchange of gunfire between at least two shooters amidst a crowd of approximately 13,000 people.
  • Police have secured the scene, recovered firearms, and are urging witnesses to come forward, while city and federal leaders condemned the violence.

A shooting erupted at Canada's largest Latin street festival in Toronto on Saturday, leaving two people dead and several others seriously injured. The violence shattered the festive atmosphere of the Salsa on St. Clair event, which had drawn an estimated 13,000 attendees.

This seemed to be an exchange of gunfire between two individuals targeting each other.

— Frank BarredoToronto Police Service Deputy Chief Frank Barredo described the nature of the shooting incident at the festival.

According to Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Frank Barredo, at least two shooters exchanged gunfire within the crowded festival grounds. Six people were shot in total; the two deceased victims were men, and the four injured individuals were transported to hospitals with severe injuries. Police have secured three crime scenes and recovered two firearms, but believe the suspects are no longer a threat to the public.

indiscriminately put vast numbers of people in danger.

— Frank BarredoDeputy Chief Barredo highlighted the danger posed to the large crowd by the exchange of gunfire.

Barredo described the shooting as an exchange between individuals targeting each other, but noted that it "indiscriminately put vast numbers of people in danger." Eyewitness accounts described scenes of panic as festivalgoers fled the gunfire. Joanna Lavoie, a journalist attending the event, reported a sudden shift in mood, witnessing one woman who appeared to have been shot.

the mood instantly changed.

— Joanna LavoieJournalist Joanna Lavoie, who was attending the festival, described the immediate impact of the gunshots on the atmosphere.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the shooting as a "reckless, despicable act of violence" and pledged full police resources to apprehend those responsible. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his horror and offered prayers to the victims' families. The festival, celebrating Latin culture, has been an annual tradition in the city for 22 years.

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.

— Joanna LavoieLavoie shared her reaction and that of others to the sudden outbreak of violence during the festival.
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Originally published by Egypt Independent. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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