What to know
- Toronto Councillor Mike Colle says the deadly Salsa on St. Clair shooting is a “wake-up call” and “tipping point” for addressing gun violence.
- Colle is calling on the federal and provincial governments to stop the flow of illegal handguns into Canada and tighten Canada’s bail system for gun-related offences.
- The targeted exchange of gunfire during the annual street festival killed two people and injured five others, prompting organizers to cancel the event’s final day.
- Toronto police have recovered two firearms and are asking anyone with photos or videos from the scene to come forward as the investigation continues.
Following Saturday evening’s deadly shooting at Salsa on St. Clair, a Toronto city councillor is calling for major reform to the bail system and a crackdown on illegal firearms.
On Saturday night, during Toronto’s 22nd annual Salsa on St. Clair, a festival celebrating the city’s Latin community, a targeted exchange of gunfire in the St. Clair Ave. W and Arlington Ave. area killed two people and injured five others. The violence sent thousands of festival-goers fleeing and led organizers to cancel the final day of the event as police continued their investigation.
On Monday, Toronto police shared that the two men killed in the shooting have been identified as Shaquan Quashie, 25, and Cesar Vernaza, 20. Police also shared that two firearms had been recovered from the scene.
In an email to Now Toronto, Eglinton-Lawrence Deputy Mayor for North York and Councillor for Ward 8, Mike Colle, called the shooting “a wake-up call” about gun violence.
“My initial reaction is that it’s a wake-up call and a tipping point reminding everyone that if we don’t do more about gun crime and how these criminals are dealt with, then we’re all at risk to this sort of violence,” Colle said in an email to Now Toronto.
Colle explained that he lives near the area where the shooting took place and says that people in the area are concerned.
“My friends and neighbours and family are totally upset and devastated by the brazen gun violence that took place in the middle of an amazing family-friendly street festival that’s been a highlight of the neighbourhood for 22 years.”
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To improve public safety at events like Salsa on St. Clair, Colle is calling on higher levels of government to crack down on firearms coming into the country.
“We need the federal and provincial governments to stop the flood of illegal handguns coming into Canada and the City of Toronto,” Colle said. “This is something that must be stopped at the border and is beyond municipal jurisdiction.”
“Secondly, there has to be an end to the easy bail system that we currently have, to send a stronger message to those committing gun crimes in our city.”
Toronto investigators are looking for videos and photos from anyone in the area of St. Clair Ave. W. and Arlington Ave. at the time of the shooting. Police have shared a link that the public can use to upload footage and images.
“There are many ways to let us know where illegal guns are, and we encourage people to prevent harm by calling police or Crime Stoppers,” police say in a release.
