2 men arrested, charged with 1st

2 men arrested, charged with 1st-degree murder for Salsa on St. Clair shooting in Toronto

2 arrested for 1st-degree murder in Salsa on St. Clair shooting

The suspects arrested on Wednesday have been identified by police as Jessiah Massaro-Gill, 18, and Lewis Downey, 18.

The men are both facing two counts of first degree murder and five counts of attempted murder in relation to the Salsa on St. Clair shooting.

Both were found to be in possession of firearms, narcotics and Canadian currency, police said.

Massaro-Gill is facing a total of 11 charges, including six counts of possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of possession of an unauthorized firearm.

Downey has a total of eight charges, including unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm and two counts of possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Toronto police say the investigation is ongoing and urge anyone with information to reach out.

How this Toronto street festival is boosting security after Salsa on St. Clair shooting

After the fatal shooting at Salsa on St. Clair, concerns about public safety at street festivals are growing. CBC's Lorenda Reddekopp speaks with the organizer of Big on Bloor about how it plans to protect attendees at this weekend's festival.

Demkiw said residents can expect to see more officers at this weekend's Taste of Danforth festival and other events.

He said Toronto police have been "projecting" their presence differently around the city for some time to "meet the public safety needs of the day."

That presence isn't limited to just festivals, but also at "places of critical infrastructure" and public gathering spots, he said. Demkiw said those decisions are made based on many factors, including local and geopolitical events.

"So we'll continue to do that work and change our posture as required," he said.

Demkiw added that residents should speak out and report anything suspicious to officers at these events.

Five guns were seized as part of the investigation, with evidence indicating that two came from the U.S., said McCabe. She said they're still waiting for details on the other guns.

She said Shaquan Quashie and Cesar Vernaza are believed to be the intended targets of the shooting.

The five other people who were injured in the incident "had the misfortune of being caught in that," she said.

While statistics show that homicides and shootings are down in Toronto, those numbers don't reflect the sense of safety people feel, said Demkiw.

"We know that events like this have a disproportionate effect on people's sense of safety and security," he said.

He again urged for reforms in the justice system to properly hold offenders to account.

"We have a growing concern around the brazen behaviour we are seeing, and that needs to be tackled."

It's not the first time Demkiw has brought this up: since the shooting, he's repeatedly called for stricter gun laws and said stronger legislation is needed to address shootings that take place in public spaces or public gatherings.

McCabe said she would not comment or speculate on the criminal history or gang involvement of the suspects — and warned that such speculation risks "oversimplifying" the issue, which centres on gun violence.

She said details on the relationships between the individuals involved will be revealed through evidence shared in court.

She said evidence led police to charge both individuals regarding the case.

McCabe called the incident on July 11 an act of "extraordinary violence."

Officers arrived to find seven people with gunshot wounds at the scene on July 11, said Det. Sgt. Stacey McCabe.

While five did not have life-threatening injuries, McCabe said some had life-altering injuries.

She said investigators continue to believe the incident was targeted, but evidence now indicates that there was not an exchange of gunfire that day.

Forensic evidence showed that the two firearms recovered at the scene had not been fired, instead shots came from one other gun, she said.

Police then identified two suspects and arrested them both on Wednesday. They are facing a total of 37 criminal charges.

Investigators seized three guns and are examining them to see if any were used in the shooting on St. Clair.

Demkiw urged for "meaningful" law reform, saying police needed stronger deterrence to hold people accountable.

To the people of Toronto, he said he understood that the events on July 11 were "deeply unsettling." But he still encouraged people to go out and enjoy events in the city.

"I don't want fear to stop people from enjoying everything that our great city has to offer," he said, adding officers will have a visible presence at events this weekend in the city.

Demkiw thanked investigators for working "relentlessly" for the past month.

He acknowledged public criticism for the lack of information shared by police, saying it was "understandable." He said information was kept from the public to maintain the integrity of the investigation.

"Sometimes that means saying less publicly so we don't compromise the investigation or future court proceedings," he said.

Demkiw said two 18-year-old men have been arrested in relation to the shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair festival.

They are facing two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder, he said.

"What should have been a celebration of community, culture, summer and all that our city has to offer resulted in two people losing their lives," he said.

"Our thoughts remain with the victims, their families, and everyone affected by what happened that evening."

At the last update on the shooting, Demkiw called for legal reforms so fatal shootings in public spaces would automatically result in a first-degree murder charge.

"We all need to work together to make sure that the kind of behaviour we witnessed … does not become the norm and is never accepted as such," he said, adding the service is doing everything in its power to tackle gun violence.

City spokesperson Pat Tobin said days after the shooting that Toronto is working with police and organizers to ensure safety at street festivals.

Toronto Coun. Josh Matlow said Salsa on St. Clair had security and barriers to prevent vehicles from entering pedestrian areas, but that he would urge the city to look into ways to prevent shootings at public events.

He also shared that he would plan a community meeting to help residents process and discuss next steps after the police investigation.

As for the festival's future, Mayor Olivia Chow said it's up to the people on the ground to decide what they want. She said the city would provide support if the event continues.