- Two killed in shooting during street festival in Toronto.
- Six people were injured, five of whom were shot.
- The suspect absconded after the incident, police started a search operation.
Toronto. Two people were killed and six others were injured in a firing that took place during the ‘Salsa on St. Clair’ street festival organized in Toronto city of Canada on Saturday evening. According to the police, the suspect is absconding after the incident and his search is on.
Toronto police said shots were reported near St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue at around 8:12 p.m., according to Russia’s international media Russia Today (RT) and other media.
Police reached the spot and found two people dead, while six injured were taken to the hospital. Among the injured, five people were shot, while another person sustained other injuries.
After the incident, the entire area was surrounded and a large number of police forces were deployed. Authorities appealed to people to stay away from the scene and follow instructions from emergency services.
At the press conference, Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said that based on initial information, it was considered an incident of “active shooter”, but investigation revealed that it was not indiscriminate firing. According to him, the incident took place in the exchange of fire between some people.
Barredo said the investigation is complex because three different locations connected to the incident are being investigated. He said that weapons have been recovered from the spot, but no one has been arrested yet.
An eyewitness said that he heard three gunshots, after which people started running away screaming. Another eyewitness said she was present on the festival’s salsa stage.
Suddenly a crowd of people started running towards the stage and within some time the police arrived. They also saw paramedics giving CPR to an injured man.
A third eyewitness said that at first they heard a sound like fireworks, but soon they realized the seriousness of the situation after seeing people running away. She told that after hearing the sound of gunshots for the second time, she hid under a car to save her life.
The ‘Salsa on St. Clair’ festival was put on hold after the shooting. This two-day cultural festival is held to celebrate Latino culture through music, dance, food and art and is attended by a large number of people every year.
Police said the investigation into the case is ongoing and a search operation is being conducted in the area to trace the suspect. Officials have appealed to the people to contact the police if they have any information related to the incident.
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