Manhunt after two killed in shooting at Toronto Latin culture festival
Manhunt after two killed in shooting at Toronto Latin culture festival
Emily BlumenthalSun, July 12, 2026 at 3:38 AM UTC
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Police said the shooting had appeared to be two people targeting each other - Cole Burston/Reuters
Police in Toronto have launched a manhunt after two suspects opened fire at a Latin culture festival in Toronto on Saturday night, killing at least two people and injuring five.
The incident occurred at 8.12pm local time near Salsa on St Clair, a festival which bills itself as Canada’s premier Latino-themed cultural celebration with music, dance, art and food. Approximately 13,000 people were in attendance when gunfire erupted, police said.
Frank Barredo, deputy chief of the Toronto Police, told reporters that two people had appeared to shoot at one another at three separate crime scenes.
“This seemed to be an exchange of gunfire between two individuals targeting each other,” Mr Barredo said, adding that two weapons had been recovered.
“Investigators are piecing it all together. This is a very chaotic scene.”
Authorities said a large police presence remained in the area and advised the public to stay away from the premises.
Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, said he was “horrified” by the shooting and that multiple people were in critical condition.
Frank Barredo, the deputy chief of Toronto police, said investigators were piecing together ‘a very chaotic scene’ - Keito Newman/The Canadian Press
Several Canadian politicians, including members of Mr Carney’s governing Liberal Party, were in attendance to compete in a “politicians dance-off” contest.
Leslie Church, a Liberal MP for Toronto-St Paul’s who participated in the competition, said she was “horrified by the violence in our community”.
Stephanie Smyth, a Liberal member of Ontario’s provincial parliament for the same district who also competed, called the incident “devastating” and “beyond disturbing”.
Witnesses described a “frantic” scene as a “huge wave” of people began to run when shots rang out at the crowded festival.
“A bunch of people told us to lay down onto the floor,” said Valerie Rodriguez, who was sitting near a restaurant when she saw people scream and run. “We got scared because we didn’t know exactly what was happening.”
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Patsy Gutierrez, a vendor who was serving food, said: “Everybody started getting frantic and then we stopped serving. I don’t think it should be something that’s happening in these type of events.”
Although mass shootings in Canada are rare, there has been a spate of high-profile incidents in the last several months.
In February, a transgender teenager in Tumbler Ridge killed eight people, including five children, a teacher and his own mother, before turning the gun on himself.
Police said Jesse Van Rootselaar went “hunting” for students to kill at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The motive has not been established.
In June, a gunman who reportedly aligned with the incel movement opened fire near a Hilton hotel in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood in Montreal, killing two people.
Mass shootings are rare in Canada, but there has been a spate of high-profile incidents in recent months - Keito Newman/The Canadian Press
Olivia Chow, the mayor of Toronto, called the shooting a “reckless, despicable act of violence”.
She wrote on X: “I am disgusted and angered by the shooting at Salsa on St Clair tonight.
“My thoughts are with the families, friends and communities of those who were injured or tragically passed away.
“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. I want to thank the police, paramedics and firefighters for their fast response to this emergency. They head towards danger when we need them most and I am grateful for their service to the people of our city.”
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, wrote in a post on X: “I am devastated by the senseless violence at the Salsa on St. Clair Festival that has claimed two lives and injured others. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected.
“Thank you to Toronto Police and our first responders for responding to this horrific incident. The person responsible must be caught, brought to justice and spend the rest of their life behind bars.”
Source: “AOL Breaking”
