A tragic incident unfolded near a popular street festival in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday evening, leaving two men dead and four others injured in a shooting incident. The festival, known as the Salsa on St. Clair, is an annual celebration of Latin American culture that attracts thousands of people to the city’s St. Clair West neighborhood.

According to Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo, the shooting occurred around 8:12 p.m. near the intersection of St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue. Barredo stated that the initial concern for an active shooter was later found to be an exchange of gunfire between two individuals targeting each other.

The two gunmen involved in the shooting ‘indiscriminately put vast numbers of people in danger,’ Barredo emphasized. ‘There was some concern about an active shooter. That turned out not to be the case,’ he added.

Valerie Rodriguez, a witness who was sitting outside a nearby restaurant, described the scene as people suddenly began screaming and running. ‘A bunch of people … told us to lay down onto the floor,’ she said. ‘We got scared because we didn’t know exactly what was happening.’

Festival vendor Patsy Gutierrez recounted seeing ‘a huge wave’ of people fleeing the scene. ‘Everybody started getting frantic and then we stopped serving,’ she said. ‘I don’t think it should be something that’s happening at these types of events.’

Mayor Olivia Chow expressed her deep concern and anger over the incident, stating that it was a ‘reckless and irresponsible act of violence right in the middle of a festival attended by families.’ Ontario Premier Doug Ford also expressed his condolences to the victims, their families, and those affected by the shooting.

Barredo acknowledged that Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is considered one of the safest major cities in North America. However, he noted that fatal shootings, particularly those involving multiple victims in public places, are relatively rare. ‘Toronto is one of the safest cities in the world but we are 3 million people and unfortunately we are not immune,’ Barredo said.

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