The remainder of Toronto’s Salsa on St. Clair festival was cancelled as police investigated a shooting that left two people dead and others injured at the event on Saturday night.
In an Instagram post Sunday, organizers said the street festival would not resume that day, “due to the complex police investigations at the scene.”
“Our thoughts are with the families of the two persons killed, those who were injured and everyone affected by this senseless violence,” the post said.
Toronto Police said an estimated 13,000 people were attending the festival when shots rang out shortly after 8 p.m. in the area of St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue. One man was killed at the scene and another died in hospital. The gunfire seriously injured four others and sent thousands of people running for safety.
Police cordoned off three separate crime scenes and found two firearms, officials said. As of Sunday morning, they had made no arrests.
The shooting occurred on what appears to have been a particularly violent weekend in the city. Toronto Police responded to another shooting early Sunday that left three people injured and resulted in five arrests, according to a post by the force on the X social media platform.
On Friday night, a shooting in the Jane Street and Sheppard Avenue East area left a 22-year-old man dead and injured two others, police said in a news release.
Salsa on St. Clair is a long-running festival celebrating Latin music, food and culture. Pictures and videos on social media showed festivalgoers dancing happily in the crowded street on Saturday afternoon, before the violence erupted.
The Hillcrest Village Business Improvement Area, which represents over 90 businesses in the St. Clair West area, said it was deeply saddened by the shooting.
Salsa on St. Clair has “long been a celebration of culture, community and connection,” the non-profit organization said in an Instagram post early Sunday. “It is devastating that an event dedicated to bringing people together has been overshadowed by this act of violence.”
Soul2Sole Latin Dance Company, which offers salsa and Latin dance lessons in Toronto and its surrounding area, also offered its sympathies and support on social media.
In an Instagram post, the company said it has been part of the Salsa on St. Clair community for more than two decades.
“In moments like these, we are reminded of the strength of community,” the post said. “We stand together in support, compassion and hope for healing for all those impacted.”
In British Columbia, Filipino BC said it was grieving with Toronto’s Latin community, saying it knows the devastation of experiencing violence during cultural celebrations.
On April 26, 2025, 11 people were killed in an attack at the Filipino Lapu Lapu Day celebrations in Vancouver.
In an Instagram post early Sunday, the Filipino BC non-profit said violence at cultural festivals “shakes an entire community, forever changing a place that was meant to be filled with joy, connection and pride.”
“To our friends in the Latin community, please know that you are not alone,” the post said. “We are holding you in our hearts, mourning with you, and standing beside you as you begin the difficult journey ahead.”
