{"id":128366,"date":"2026-07-13T22:32:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T22:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/128366\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T22:32:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T22:32:14","slug":"toronto-police-chief-seeks-tough-penalties-for-public-attacks-like-festival-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/128366\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto police chief seeks tough penalties for public attacks like festival shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2014 Toronto’s police chief says the deadly shooting that killed two people and sent thousands running for cover at a weekend street festival was a “targeted event,” and he called on tougher penalties for such brazen, public gun battles.<\/p>\n

Police identified the victims Monday as 25-year-old Shaquan Quashie and 20-year-old Cesar Vernaza and said the two knew each other.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Four people were sent to hospital after gunfire erupted Saturday evening during the Salsa on St. Clair street party, where police had said 13,000 people had gathered.<\/p>\n

Police Chief Myron Demkiw called for tougher consequences when attacks unfold amid large gatherings.<\/p>\n

“We need some reforms that address that and recognize that if you pull out a gun in a public space, in a public square or the Eaton Centre or any other public gathering and fire it indiscriminately, that should be treated with the utmost seriousness in the law,” he said at a press conference also attended by Mayor Olivia Chow.<\/p>\n

“And if someone dies as a result of that, there should be no debate on what the motive was behind that shooting. That should be a pathway to first-degree murder in-and-of itself and that’s the reforms we’re looking to see our federal government consider.”<\/p>\n

Demkiw said police were investigating two other Toronto shootings over the weekend for any potential links between them.<\/p>\n

\"Cesar<\/p>\n

Cesar Vernaza, 20, is shown in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Handout – Toronto Police Service (Mandatory Credit)<\/p>\n

The second day of the Salsa on St. Clair festival was cancelled Sunday as police continued their investigation. The annual event celebrates Latin culture, food and music.<\/p>\n

Chow called the shooting “reckless and disgusting,” and emphasized a similar message to one she shared in a social media post earlier Monday that called on the federal public safety minister to “stem the flow of illegal American guns coming into Toronto’s streets.”<\/p>\n

The mayor and chief both emphasized how integral street festivals are to Toronto’s culture.<\/p>\n

“We will not let reckless criminals stop Toronto’s tradition of outdoor street festivals,” Chow said.<\/p>\n

“In difficult times, Toronto will shine. And I want to thank Torontonians for looking after each other like always,” she said.<\/p>\n

\"Shaquan<\/p>\n

Shaquan Quashie, 25, is shown in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Handout – Toronto Police Service (Mandatory Credit)<\/p>\n

Businesses and residents along St. Clair West described safety concerns Sunday when only a few businesses had opened by noon.<\/p>\n

Redon Hoxhaj was on his way to a cafe he visits every Sunday when he found out it was closed, and said he felt “sad” and “a bit afraid” after the shooting.<\/p>\n

Restaurant owner Tomer Markovitz said the festival should move next year, “somewhere else that they can contain it.”<\/p>\n

Demkiw said there have actually been fewer shootings this summer than last year, but acknowledged that the data doesn’t always align with how residents actually feel about crime.<\/p>\n

“Shootings are down 26 per cent in the city compared to the same time last year but when a brazen shooting occurs in a public setting, like happened this weekend it understandably shakes the sense of security that Torontonians expect and deserve,” he said.<\/p>\n

Demkiw said that police will continue to do everything they can to tackle gun violence but that “everyone has a role to play.”<\/p>\n

“Legislators, parents, schools, school boards, community organizations and all other partners have an essential role to play in intervening and preventing gun violence in our city,” he said.<\/p>\n

Demkiw and Chow both pointed to the successful security measures the city took during the FIFA World Cup, which saw Toronto host six games.<\/p>\n

Demkiw said that they learned a “great deal” and will continue to expand security measures at events on a case-by-case basis, such as through “controlled access points and security screenings.”<\/p>\n

Police did not share information about suspects, or the relationship of those injured in the crossfire.<\/p>\n

“We’re not saying anything about suspects at this time…. The amount of video and witness statements to go through is exceptional,” said Demkiw.<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2026.<\/p>\n

Monique Kasonga, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TORONTO \u2014 Toronto’s police chief says the deadly shooting that killed two people and sent thousands running for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128367,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[36274,3948,15058,4080,29505,42791,35525,989,48,15060,7384],"class_list":["post-128366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto","tag-deadly-shooting","tag-mandatory-credit","tag-myron-demkiw","tag-olivia-chow","tag-police-chief","tag-shaquan-quashie","tag-street-festival","tag-the-canadian-press","tag-toronto","tag-toronto-police-chief","tag-toronto-police-service"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}