Toronto police, mayor to provide update on deadly weekend festival shooting

observe unrecorded | police force, city manager Chow to provide update in fatal Salsa on St. Clair shooting

Investigators sifting through evidence after Toronto festival shooting, no arrests made

Two killed in shooting at Toronto street festival

People rushed to help after Toronto festival shooting: resident

Business owner recounts letting people inside during St. Clair shooting

UPDATE: What we know after fatal shooting at Salsa on St. Clair festival

2 dead, multiple people injured at Toronto street festival

Eyewitness and journalist recounts 'sheer panic' of Toronto festivalgoers during shooting

Residents react after Toronto festival shooting leaves 2 dead, multiple injured

Toronto’s Salsa on St. Clair festival cancelled after deadly shooting kills 2

Complaints of overcrowding pour in following Do West Fest

Saturday's fatal shooting wasn't the first time safety issues became a concern at a Toronto street festival — which are a staple of Toronto summers. 

There had already been complaints about security levels and overcrowding at the Do West Fest in June, ultimately causing it to be cut short after organizers said they didn't get the extra police resources they had requested.

Security questions are being considered in real time, as the city has several other street festivals planned this summer.

The Taste of Danforth is returning this summer after a two-year hiatus, and GreekTown BIA chair Tony Pethakas said in a statement Monday they are working closely with the city, private security and Toronto police on a comprehensive safety plan.

Mayor Chow addressed gun violence in the city in a video statement today, saying the city "will not let reckless criminals stop Toronto's tradition of outdoor street festivals."

Chow noted the festival incident was just one of three shootings across the city over the weekend. One person was killed in a targeted North York shooting Friday and several were injured early Sunday morning in a shooting near Rebel Nightclub on the city's waterfront.

Chow said she had spoken with Canada's Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and urged him to speak with American leaders "to stem the flow of illegal guns into our streets."

So far this year, 49 people have been injured or killed by firearms, with a total of 130 shootings and firearm discharges recorded, according to Toronto police statistics.

This weekend was a difficult one.<br><br>Right now, families are mourning loved ones or helping them recover from injuries. The pain caused by gun violence is unimaginable. <br><br>I have every confidence in the <a href="https://x.com/TorontoPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@torontopolice</a> and have spoken to the Federal Public Safety Minister, urging him… <a href="https://t.co/rDsYWkIy2r">pic.twitter.com/rDsYWkIy2r</a>

Anti-gun violence advocates call for action after violent Toronto weekend

We heard from an expert this morning who studies disaster and emergency preparedness. Jack Rozdilsky, an associate professor of disaster and emergency management at York University, says while the city and police should be looking for any possible improvements to security, open-air festivals cannot be made perfectly safe, and the focus should be on dealing with the root causes of gun violence.

"The point is, the location is not the cause of the violence — period," Rozdilsky said. "A simple venue change for public mass festivals is not going to address the gun violence problem."

While metal detectors and bag checks are effective measures at indoor events, Rozdilsky said they don't work as well at street festivals, which have several entrance and exit points in the forms of businesses, residential buildings, other roads and alleyways.

Street festivals are known as "soft targets" for criminal activity, Rozdilsky said. That's where the top priority is the celebration at the festival itself, not airtight security.

Business owner recounts letting people inside during St. Clair shooting

Macelleria Atlas, a family-run butcher shop, became a safe haven for many after owner Angela Mazza let people inside during the chaotic moments of a fatal shooting at Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair festival Saturday evening.

In the aftermath, several business owners and people living in the neighbourhood say they want to see more security at future festivals.

One business owner, who sheltered people in her butcher shop, says she wasn't sure her business would participate in the festival anymore, or whether it should happen at all.

"This moment kind of just crushed it for us," said Angela Mazza, owner of Macelleria Atlas. She says people were drinking more than in past festivals, and that she didn't feel as safe this year.

The owner of a bakery on St. Clair Ave., Tomer Markovitz, said he and other business owners closed shop early Saturday over concerns there would be trouble, saying they've been urging the city and festival officials to beef up security.

He suggested ending the festival earlier in the day and requiring festival-goers to enter through metal detectors. He also said he hoped the festival would take place in another location next year, "somewhere else that they can contain it."

Although the garbage, vendor tents and police evidence markers have been taken down, St. Clair Ave. W. Remains eerily quiet today.

Yesterday, the streets were lined with quickly abandoned, half-empty food boxes and single flip flops. The smell of garbage in the hot air, mixed with the street closure was a night-and-day difference from the party that took place on Saturday prior to the shooting.

Some businesses reopened today. Others, still shaken by the situation, remain closed. 

I just spoke with neighbours and community members who were gathered outside on the street, reliving and recounting what played out on Saturday night. Frustration was among the words used to describe the events, with many saying they felt the festival should be cancelled next year.

It's still unclear what the cause of the shooting was, and no arrests have been made. Police say they are still investigating how many people were involved, and whether there are still outstanding suspects.

Investigators sifting through evidence after Toronto festival shooting, no arrests made

Police say they believe at least two people exchanged gunfire at Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair festival on Saturday, killing two people and sending others to hospital. Police are now sorting through phone recordings from the event, witness statements and evidence from three crime scenes. They have yet to announce any arrests.

Though initial alerts described an active shooter, police said later that evening there was no ongoing threat to the area.

Two firearms were recovered after the shooting, with investigators establishing three crime scenes. Six people suffered gunshot wounds, police said, including the two men later pronounced dead.

Witnesses described seeing people screaming and running away from the festival area in the minutes after the shooting. Some said the chaos caused a crowd crush, with people pushing into each other and knocking over patio furniture.

One resident, Lindsey Petrus, said neighbours helped frightened festival-goers in the aftermath, bringing out water to people and trying to comfort them.

The festival's final day of events, Sunday, was cancelled as police continued their investigation.

Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw is set to provide an update this afternoon on the deadly shooting that happened at the Salsa on St. Clair festival this weekend.

The news conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. At Toronto police headquarters. Mayor Olivia Chow will also be there. 

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