Two dead in mass shooting at Canada street festival

Toronto: Two people were killed, and three others sustained injuries after a shooting near a street festival in Canada’s Toronto, prompting a massive police response and heightened security in the area, officials said.

The firing took place on Saturday (local time) in a neighbourhood where the popular Salsa on St. Clair festival was underway, drawing large crowds for the annual Latino-themed cultural celebration.

Toronto Police initially issued an alert warning of an active shooter and urged residents and visitors to avoid the area as officers responded to the incident.

According to police, five people suffering from gunshot wounds were found near the intersection of St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue, close to the venue of the Salsa on St. Clair festival.

Emergency responders rushed to the scene, while police established a security perimeter and advised members of the public to stay away from the affected area until the situation was brought under control.

Authorities later confirmed that the scene had been secured. However, no information regarding a suspect or any arrests had been released at the time of the latest update.

Security measures in the surrounding area were significantly strengthened as investigators began examining the circumstances that led to the shooting.

Salsa on St. Clair is one of Toronto’s prominent Latino-themed cultural festivals, attracting thousands of visitors every year with music, dance, food and community events.

The latest incident comes only weeks after another deadly shooting in Montreal late last month, where two people, including a police officer, lost their lives after an assailant opened fire. The attacker was later shot dead by law enforcement personnel.

Videos shared on social media from the Montreal incident appeared to capture an exchange of gunfire between police officers and an individual carrying a long gun while dressed in an olive-coloured jacket and cargo pants.

The footage appeared to show a civilian and at least one police officer being shot during the confrontation, while the individual wearing the olive-coloured clothing also seemed to be struck by police gunfire as they appeared to adjust or reload their weapon.

Earlier this year, in February, another major shooting shook Canada when a gun attack at a school in the western mining town of Tumbler Ridge claimed the lives of eight people, including the shooter’s mother and half-brother. Twenty-seven others were injured before the suspect died by suicide.

IANS