Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw says that two 18-year-old males have been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting at Salsa on St. Clair last month.
He says that both are charged with 37 offences, including two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Shaquan Quashie, 25, and Cesar Vernaza, 20, were killed and multiple others were injured following an exchange of gunfire in the middle of the festival on July 11.
Here are the latest updates as police provide more details on the arrests:
Five of victims were merely bystanders
Det. Sgt. Stacey McCabe says police continue to believe Quashie, and Vernaza were the intended targets of the shooting. She said that the other five people injured “had the misfortune” of being caught in the middle of the shooting.
Motive not clear
Police say that they are not in a position to comment on a possible motive for the shooting or whether it may have been gang-related..
“What I will say is this: reducing incidents like this to simply gang violence oversimplifies a much more complex problem. 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,” Det. Sgt. Stacey McCabe says.
Three firearms seized
Det. Sgt. Stacey McCabe says three firearms were seized during the arrest of the two suspects. She says those firearms are undergoing forensic testing to determine whether they may have been used in the shooting.
Police say no exchange of gunfire
Det. Sgt. Stacey McCabe says that police no longer believe there was an exchange of gunfire at the festival and have since determined that the gunfire all came from one gun.
She says that while two guns were located at the scene, neither was used in the shooting.
“The evidence indicates the gunfire came from one gun,” she says.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
