At least 12 people were wounded in a shooting near a community festival in Toledo, Ohio, on Saturday afternoon, with two victims in critical condition and police actively searching for suspects believed to have been firing at each other in a crowd of festival-goers.
Toledo police responded to a report of a person shot near the Old West End Festival at approximately 5:30 p.m. and arrived to find multiple victims. Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said it appeared at least two individuals were exchanging gunfire, describing them as “probably shooting at each other” rather than targeting the crowd directly. Multiple victims were transported to nearby hospitals. Police did not immediately release further details on the total number shot or the full extent of injuries.
The Old West End Festival is an annual two-day celebration held in Toledo’s historic district, featuring live music, food vendors, home tours, and shopping. The gunfire sent crowds scrambling for cover during what had been a public community gathering.
Kevin Berry, a Navy veteran with medical training who was sitting in a nearby arboretum listening to live music when the shots rang out, said the scene was immediate chaos. “Everybody hit the deck,” Berry said. He spotted a gun being tossed to the ground approximately 50 feet from where he was sitting before going to search for wounded people he could help. He reported seeing five individuals with gunshot wounds in the arboretum area. “The folks who were hit were spread out around the arboretum area,” he added.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a statement expressing concern about the shooting. “Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence,” DeWine said.
Police are continuing to search for suspects and working to establish the full circumstances of the shooting. The investigation is ongoing.
