- Toronto active shooter incident reported Saturday.
- Two victims pronounced dead at scene.
- Five people sustained gunshot injuries.
Five people were injured and two were pronounced dead following an active shooter incident in Toronto on Saturday, according to a police emergency alert on X. Police said officers located five people injured with gunshot wounds. Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The conditions of the remaining victims were not immediately known.
Authorities urged the public to avoid the area and follow all directions from police as the investigation and response continued. Police said updates would be provided as more information became available. No details were immediately released about a suspect, motive or arrests.
Panic gripped during Salsa festival
Panic gripped Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair festival after gunfire erupted, sending crowds fleeing in all directions as people scrambled for safety.
Betsy Gutierrez, a vendor at the festival, told The Canadian Press she was serving customers when she suddenly saw "a huge wave" of people running toward her.
"Everybody started getting frantic and then we stopped serving," she said, adding, "I don't think it should be something that's happening in these type of events."
Another attendee, Valerie Rodriguez, recalled the terrifying moments as chaos unfolded. She said she was sitting near a restaurant when people began screaming and running.
"A bunch of people ... told us to lay down onto the floor," Rodriguez said. "We got scared because we didn't know exactly what was happening."
The shooting triggered widespread panic, with festival-goers taking cover as authorities rushed to the scene.
Canada's deadly mass shootings history
The Toronto shooting comes less than three weeks after another deadly gun attack shook Canada. In that incident, a gunman opened fire in Montreal, triggering a shootout with police that left two people dead in broad daylight. The attack also marked the first time in nearly two decades that a Montreal police officer was killed in the line of duty.
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The latest violence has reignited concerns over public safety in Canada, where mass shootings remain relatively rare due to the country's stricter gun laws compared with the United States.
Following Canada's deadliest mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020, which claimed 22 lives, the federal government introduced sweeping gun control measures, including a ban on assault-style firearms and broader reforms aimed at curbing gun violence.
(With inputs from agencies)