A deadly shooting has left at least two people dead and six others injured after gunfire erupted at a crowded street festival in midtown Toronto, Canada, law enforcement officials confirmed. The incident unfolded on Sunday evening local time, triggering a large emergency response that locked down the busy commercial corridor and sent attendees fleeing for safety.
Toronto Police first received emergency calls reporting an active shooter on St. Clair Avenue just after 8:12 p.m. local time, which corresponds to 1:12 a.m. BST Monday. At the time of the attack, the thoroughfare was hosting Salsa on St. Clair, the city’s beloved 22nd annual Latin cultural festival that draws thousands of attendees each year to enjoy live music, open-air dance performances, and food from local vendors.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they located six people with gunshot wounds. Two of those victims were pronounced dead at the site of the shooting, police confirmed in an initial statement. By early Monday, authorities had secured the perimeter of the attack site and maintained a heavy visible police presence in the area, urging local residents and visitors to avoid the zone to allow for ongoing investigation.
As of the latest update, no suspects have been taken into custody, and investigators have not released details on a potential motive for the violence. St. Clair Avenue, the location of the festival, is a popular midtown corridor lined with local shops, cafes, and restaurants that was closed to traffic for the two-day celebration that was scheduled to run from July 11 to July 12.
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