Toronto Police Data Shows Shooting Decline Amid Public Safety Outcry
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Preliminary figures indicate the lowest number of shootings in five years, though fatal incidents have risen since last year.
Public safety concerns are mounting in Toronto following a deadly shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair festival that left two people dead and five injured, as CBC News first reported. In response to the violence, festival organizers have threatened to cancel future events unless the city and police provide concrete safety commitments.
According to preliminary Toronto police data analyzed by CBC News, there were 38 shootings between January 1 and July 12, 2026. This represents the lowest number of shootings recorded for that specific timeframe in the last five years. However, shooting deaths for the same period are higher than they were last year.
Toronto police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan told CBC News that shooting deaths are "relatively infrequent events," noting that three deaths occurred over a single weekend, including the Salsa on St. Clair event and a fatal shooting in North York. Ramadan also noted that firearm violence usually reaches its highest point between July and September.
Despite the overall decline in shootings, firearm violence remains the primary cause of homicide in the city. Toronto police's homicide dashboard reports 20 total homicides so far this year, 14 of which were shooting deaths.
Political reactions to the violence have varied. City councillor Josh Matlow submitted a safety motion to the economic and development committee, while mayoral candidate and Coun. Brad Bradford criticized the mayor and police for a response he described as "out of touch." Meanwhile, Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw is calling for federal legislative changes to ensure any shooting in a public space, fatal or not, is treated as first-degree murder.