A pair of 18-year-olds have been charged with first-degree murder in last month's deadly shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair, police said Friday, vowing to heighten security around other major street festivals.
Jessiah Massaro-Gill and Lewis Downey each also face five counts of attempted murder, as well as several gun and drug-related charges.
Two people were killed, five others were injured and thousands were sent running for cover on July 11 in what police have called a targeted attack at the popular midtown festival, casting a shadow over Toronto's busy street festival season.
"While today's arrest represents significant progress, they do not erase what happened that evening," police Chief Myron Demkiw said.
At a news conference, police said they no longer believe there was an exchange of gunfire at the scene, as they initially reported. While two guns were recovered at the scene, neither were fired.
"The evidence indicates the gunfire came from one gun," said Det. Sgt. Stacey McCabe.
Three handguns were allegedly seized by officers who searched the suspects' homes, McCabe said. Investigators are now working to determine whether any of those were the gun used that night.
The shooting killed 25-year-old Shaquan Quashie and 20-year-old Cesar Vernaza, who police allege were targeted.
The other five people injured "had the misfortune of being caught in that" shooting, said McCabe, who declined to share any details about them, citing their privacy.
Although there's been speculation about the motive, McCabe said reducing what happened to "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," she said.
Police say 13,000 people were at the popular annual event when gunfire erupted, an attack that has shaken Toronto festivalgoers.
Organizers of Taste of the Danforth, a popular food festival that is set to return this weekend, have said they worked with police and private security for months on a "comprehensive" safety plan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2026.
