What to know
- Toronto police have arrested two 18-year-old men in connection with the fatal shooting at Salsa on St. Clair on July 11.
- The shooting killed Shaquan Quashie, 25, and Cesar Vernaza, 20, and injured five other people.
- Investigators say the attack was targeted and involved a single firearm, not an exchange of gunfire.
- Both accused face 37 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Toronto police have arrested two 18-year-old men in connection with a mass shooting at this year’s Salsa on St. Clair festival that left two people dead and five others injured.
Police announced the arrests during a Friday morning press conference, where Chief Myron Demkiw and Det. Sgt. Stacey McCabe of the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit provided an update on the investigation into the July 11 shooting.
The gunfire erupted at approximately 8 p.m. during the popular street festival, killing 25-year-old Shaquan Quashie and 20-year-old Cesar Vernaza. Five other people were wounded.
Investigators said the shooting was targeted and that evidence collected during the investigation indicates the violence stemmed from a single firearm rather than an exchange of gunfire.
Police said investigators identified two suspects and arrested Jessiah Massaro-Gill and Lewis Downey, both 18, earlier this week.
During the arrests, officers seized three firearms. McCabe said two additional guns had already been recovered at the scene following the shooting, adding that both were traced back to the United States.
Massaro-Gill and Downey each face 37 criminal charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Investigators declined to comment on a possible motive or speculation that the shooting was gang-related, saying the investigation remains ongoing.
“What I will say is this: reducing incidents like this to simply gang violence oversimplifies a much more complex problem,” McCabe said.
“This investigation is about gun violence and the willingness of young people to use guns with complete disregard for human life and the safety of anyone around them.”
The deadly shooting sent festivalgoers scrambling for safety and prompted a massive emergency response, raising renewed concerns about gun violence at large public events in Toronto.
Police say the investigation remains active and are asking anyone with information who has not yet spoken with investigators to come forward.
