Police investigate shooting that injured at least 12 at Toledo's Old West End Festival
A gunfire incident near Toledo's Old West End Festival left a dozen people wounded, including two in critical condition, and police are still searching for the suspects.
Gunfire erupted Saturday near the Old West End Festival in Toledo, Ohio, wounding at least 12 people, ages 14 to 61, with two victims listed as critical. Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said investigators believe at least two individuals fired weapons, apparently shooting at each other, and no arrests had been made hours after the incident. Heffernan urged anyone who attended the festival to submit any photos or video that might aid the investigation.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a statement expressing concern over the incident and emphasizing that summer festivals should be safe for families. Social‑media videos showed crowds fleeing the sound of gunshots while emergency personnel attended to the injured.
Fire Chief Allison Armstrong noted that road closures and traffic from departing festivalgoers complicated ambulance access, but responders were able to transport all patients to hospitals within an hour. One attendee, Kevin Berry, described hearing multiple shots while seated in a nearby arboretum, seeing a firearm fall to the ground, and assisting several wounded individuals before police arrived.
City safety director George Kral said officials were consulting with festival organizers about whether the two‑day event would continue later in the weekend.