The Toronto Police Service is investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday night at a large Latin street festival in Midtown Toronto, resulting in the deaths of at least two people and injuring four others.
Police responded to a report of a shooting at St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue at 8:12 p.m. local time and discovered an active shooter situation, but later determined that was not the case.
First responders found six people suffering from gunshot wounds, with two of the victims being pronounced dead at the scene. The authorities are still unclear about what led to the shooting and have not made any arrests as of Saturday evening.
According to officials, the shooting appears to have been an "exchange of gunfire" between two individuals targeting each other, with Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo saying the scene was very chaotic with approximately 13,000 people participating in the festival.
Police are managing three separate crime scenes connected to the shooting, and two firearms have been recovered. The authorities have urged the public to avoid the area and follow all directives from police at the scene.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the shooting, offering his condolences to the families of the victims and praising the bravery of the police officers and first responders who prevented further tragedy.
The Toronto Transit Commission had suspended train stops at the nearby St. Clair West station on Line 1 Yonge-University due to a "security incident" following the shooting, but regular transit service has since resumed.
