{"id":796381,"date":"2026-07-12T04:25:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T04:25:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/796381\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T04:25:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T04:25:23","slug":"toronto-salsa-on-st-clair-festival-shooting-2-dead-4-injured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/796381\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto Salsa on St. Clair festival shooting: 2 dead, 4 injured"},"content":{"rendered":"

A \u201ccomplex\u201d investigation is underway into a shooting at a popular Latin street festival in Toronto that left two people dead and at least four others seriously injured on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

Thousands of people including families, children and seniors, were enjoying the first night of this year\u2019s Salsa on St. Clair when gunshots rang out shortly after 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair shooting Police respond to an active shooter at the Salsa on St. Clair event in Toronto, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Keito Newman <\/p>\n

Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said there was an \u201cexchange of gunfire\u201d between individuals \u201ctargeting each other\u201d near St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue, sending festival attendees running in all directions away from the scene.<\/p>\n

One witness told CP24 that people were even \u201ctrampling\u201d over each other so they could get to safety.<\/p>\n

Dozens of police officers, along with paramedics, descended on the festival and found several people suffering from gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n

Barredo said one man was pronounced dead at the scene while another died later in the hospital. There identities have not been released<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair shooting Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo addresses the media after a shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair event in Toronto, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Keito Newman <\/p>\n

Four others were also taken to the hospital with serious injuries, Barredo said.<\/p>\n

Toronto police\u2019s social media accounts posted that officers were looking for an \u201cactive shooter\u201d at the scene.<\/p>\n

Barredo, in a late-night news conference, later confirmed that there was actually no active shooter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat turned out not to be the case. As you can imagine, the information is flowing very, very quickly when something like this is unfolding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn active shooter is something that we put out because we weren\u2019t sure in the initial few moments of what it was. It turned out not to be an active shooter in the classic state sense of the word,\u201d Barredo explained when asked to elaborate.<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair shooting Toronto Police hold back crowds as they respond to an active shooter at the Salsa on St. Clair event in Toronto, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Keito Newman <\/p>\n

No arrests have been made.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still far too early in the investigation to tell you who was involved, what their roles were, and who might be outstanding. That information will come when it becomes available,\u201d Barredo said.<\/p>\n

He noted that officers have recovered two firearms and that they have three crime scenes.<\/p>\n

Barredo said the investigation into what exactly happened will be \u201ccomplex.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can say it\u2019s complex because of the sheer number of people involved, just the chaotic amount of information. There\u2019d be lots of video to pour through, lots of witness statements and evidence to pour through,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Barredo noted that there were approximately 13,000 people at the time.<\/p>\n

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow denounced the shooting.<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair shooting Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow addresses the media after a shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair event in Toronto, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Keito Newman <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m deeply disturbed and angry about this reckless, irresponsible act of violence, and right in the middle of a festival attended by families, children, and seniors,\u201d the mayor said. \u201cJust beyond words, how disturbed I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our live coverage of the shooting has ended this evening. Here\u2019s a recap of the developments.<\/p>\n

11:45 p.m. – Ring video shows people running<\/p>\n

Ring camera footage obtained by CP24 shows people running and screaming in an alleyway as gunfire erupted.<\/p>\n

Warning: doorbell camera shows Salsa on St. Clair festival attendees flee after shooting Doorbell camera footage shows people running down an alleyway to avoid the chaos after the Salsa on St. Clair festival shooting. <\/p>\n

11:14 p.m. – Carney, Poilievre react to shooting<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Mark Carney in a post on social media said he was \u201chorrified\u201d by the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy prayers are with the families grieving their loved ones, those who are in critical condition, and everyone who has been affected by this horrific event. My thanks to the police officers and other first responders whose courage and fast action prevented further tragedy,\u201d Carney said.<\/p>\n

He added that police have his full support as they look for whoever was responsible for the incident.<\/p>\n

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he was \u201cshocked\u201d to hear about the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur prayers are with the families of the two individuals who passed away, and we hope for a full recovery for those injured. May the police find the monster responsible for this innocent loss of life and bring them to justice,\u201d Poilievre said in a social media post.<\/p>\n

11:13 p.m. \u2013 Mayor Chow says she is \u2018deeply disturbed\u2019<\/p>\n

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also spoke at the news conference and called the shooting a \u201creckless, irresponsible act of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chow said she is \u201cdeeply disturbed and angry\u201d that it happened at a festival attended by families, children and seniors.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, in such a crowded festival, that kind of reckless violence just leaves me very disturbed and just totally angry,\u201d the mayor said.<\/p>\n

Chow sent her condolences to the loved ones of the victims who died in the shooting.<\/p>\n

\"\"Mayor Olivia Chow Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow flanked by Councillors Mike Colle and Josh Matlow speaks at a news conference on St. Clair Avenue West about a shooting on Saturday, July 11, 2026. <\/p>\n

Area councillors Mike Colle and Josh Matlow were also at the news conference.<\/p>\n

Colle had strong words against whoever was behind the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just want to say how disgusting this is. This gangster violence in a peaceful family festival. We had this for 15 years, no problems, and to shoot up a festival indiscriminately, these thugs must be caught, no bail, put them away for 20 years,\u201d Colle said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis threatens all of our public events. This has got to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

10:59 p.m. – No arrests have been made<\/p>\n

In a news conference, Deputy Frank Barredo said while there was a concern of an active shooter, \u201cthat turned out not to be the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you can imagine, the information is flowing very, very quickly when something like this is unfolding,\u201d Barredo said.<\/p>\n

He said the incident began with an \u201cexchange of gunfire\u201d between individuals that were targeting each other.<\/p>\n

\"\"Deputy Chief Frank Barredo Toronto police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo give an update on the deadly shooting on St. Clair on Saturday, July 11, 2026. <\/p>\n

\u201cAn active shooter is something that we put out because we weren\u2019t sure in the initial few moments of what it was. It turned out not to be an active shooter in the classic sense of the word,\u201d Barredo said.<\/p>\n

The deputy chief added they have three crime scenes and the investigation into what exactly transpired will be \u201ccomplex.\u201d<\/p>\n

No arrests have been made. Barredo said firearms have been recovered at the scene.<\/p>\n

10:30 p.m. – Witness recounts hearing second round of gunshots<\/p>\n

Ana Bettencourt was less than a block away from where the shooting occurred and remembered hearing what sounded like \u201cmuffled powerful fireworks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then everyone started running, which obviously then I did the same. We just trampled over each other and were running and took one of the side streets,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Shortly after, she heard from someone that there was a shooting and multiple people were injured.<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair shooting Police respond to an active shooter at the Salsa on St. Clair event in Toronto, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Keito Newman <\/p>\n

Bettencourt said she went to another intersection to watch what was happening when gunshots rang out again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was equally scary. If anything, it was scarier for me then. Myself plus a number of people of course, we started trampling around and running. (I) went to another alleyway and then ducked under a car, just waiting until the commotion died down,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I wanted to do was to get out of that area and whatever cost,\u201d Bettencourt added.<\/p>\n

10:19 p.m. – Toronto police to provide update<\/p>\n

Toronto police say Deputy Chief Frank Barredo is set to speak to reporters at 10:45 p.m. at a command post at St. Clair Avenue West and Winona Drive.<\/p>\n

Play the video above to watch the news conference.<\/p>\n

10:18 p.m.- \u2018Everybody was running,\u2019 witnesses recount chaotic scene<\/p>\n

Jacy Lin said she was at the festival stage near Arlington Avenue and didn\u2019t hear the gunshots due to the loud music.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut suddenly everybody was running towards the stage,\u201d Lin told CP24. At that point, she said people were confused as to what was happening.<\/p>\n

Police shortly arrived and that\u2019s when she said they learned about an active shooter.<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair shooting Police respond to an active shooter at the Salsa on St. Clair event in Toronto, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Keito Newman <\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody was just leaving,\u201d she said, recounting that she saw paramedics performing CPR on someone.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything happened so fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pamela Garcia recounted hearing what she thought were gunshots, prompting her to run with everybody.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody was yelling. So scary,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

10 p.m. \u2013 Ford says he is \u2018devastated\u2019<\/p>\n

Ontario Premier Doug Ford reacted to the shooting on social media, saying, \u201cI am devastated by the senseless violence at the Salsa on St. Clair Festival that has claimed two lives and injured others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thoughts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected,\u201d the premier said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe person responsible must be caught, brought to justice and spend the rest of their life behind bars.\u201d<\/p>\n

9:34 p.m. – Sixth injured victim found<\/p>\n

Toronto police say they have located a sixth shooting victim. There is no immediate word on the extent of their injuries.<\/p>\n

As it stands, there are two people dead and six injured in the shooting.<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair shooting Police respond to an active shooter at the Salsa on St. Clair event in Toronto, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Keito Newman 9:22 p.m. \u2013 How will police search for the shooter<\/p>\n

CTV News public safety analyst Chris Lewis says Toronto police will go where information points them to.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can be so far gone and long gone. They could be in a condo on top of a building. They could be anywhere. So at this point, I don\u2019t think they\u2019re going to find anybody in that area. They\u2019re going to search it as best they can,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be probably basing their search on what people are telling them. We saw a man running this way with a gun; well, that\u2019s where they\u2019re going to start searching and work out from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

9:17 p.m. – Scene secured, police say<\/p>\n

In a post on social media, Toronto police say they have secured the scene.<\/p>\n

No additional victims have been reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cA large police presence remains in the area as officers continue their investigation,\u201d police said in the post.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease continue to avoid the area and follow directions from emergency personnel.\u201d<\/p>\n

What we know<\/p>\n

Police said they got a call at 8:12 p.m. for a shooting on St. Clair Avenue West near Arlington Avenue.<\/p>\n

Officers arrived and found five people suffering from gunshot wounds. Police said two were pronounced dead at the scene.<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair shooting Police are on the scene of a shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair festival. (Joanna Lavoie) <\/p>\n

There is no immediate word on the condition of the other three victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease avoid the area immediately,\u201d police said.<\/p>\n

No descriptions of the shooter have been released.<\/p>\n

CP24 reporter describes scene<\/p>\n

Joanna Lavoie, a CP24.com journalist, is at the festival. She said people were having fun and enjoying the festival before the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were dancing,\u201d Lavoie said.<\/p>\n

She recounted that the energy just changed when the shooting occurred. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are terrified,\u201d she said, adding police are telling people to go home.<\/p>\n

\"\"Salsa on St. Clair Police are on the scene at Salsa on St. Clair. (Joanna Lavoie) <\/p>\n

Lavoie said the festival is essentially shut down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a little bit shaken,\u201d she said, noting that she came down to the festival to have a fun time with her friends.<\/p>\n

What is Salsa on St. Clair festival<\/p>\n

The annual TD Salsa on St. Clair happens along St. Clair Avenue West between Christie Street and Winona Drive.<\/p>\n

It is touted as Canada\u2019s no. 1 \u201cLatino-themed cultural celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the event<\/a>, it attracts hundreds of thousands of people during the two-day festivities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A \u201ccomplex\u201d investigation is underway into a shooting at a popular Latin street festival in Toronto that left…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":796290,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[712,49,48,44],"class_list":["post-796381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-apple-news","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=796381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/796290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=796381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=796381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=796381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}