Police search for suspects after at least 12 people shot near a festival in Toledo, Ohio, authorities say
By Emma Tucker, Danya Gainor, CNN
(CNN) — Police are searching for suspects after at least 12 people were shot, two critically, near a festival in the historic district of Toledo, Ohio, that is home to one of the largest neighborhoods of Victorian houses in the country, authorities said Saturday.
There appear to have been two people who were “probably shooting at each other,” and neither is in custody, Toledo Police Deputy Chief Joe Heffernan told reporters at a Saturday night news conference.
Rapid bursts of gunfire sent festivalgoers at the Old West End Festival — an annual two-day event that includes a parade, house tours and live music — screaming and running for cover between golf carts and food trucks, video reviewed by CNN shows.
All of the people shot are expected to survive, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz told CNN affiliate WTOL earlier Saturday.
Police Lt. Dan Gerken said he spoke to victims ranging in age from 14 to 61 years old and urged residents to ask their children what they know about the shooting.
“If we get help from the community, it’ll be hopefully sooner than later,” Gerken said of the search for the suspects. “There’s kids out there that probably know more than all of us standing here.”
The mass shooting is one of at least 170 in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, marking another instance of a community celebration – like a festival or graduation ceremony – ending in a distinctly American pattern of gun violence.
“What happened today at the Old West End Festival, sadly, has happened in too many American cities,” Kapszukiewicz said in a statement. “But we should never shrug our shoulders and accept it as the price of living in a free society. As a country, we must do better.”
Police say crime rates are trending downward in Northwest Ohio’s Toledo, home to about 270,000 people. Last year, the city saw a 15% reduction in shooting incidents compared to 2024, according to the Toledo Police Department.
“Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on X. “We are confident that law enforcement will locate the suspects involved in this senseless crime.”
The second day of the festival has been canceled in the wake of the shooting.
“After discussion with festival organizers, law enforcement and the City of Toledo, we feel that it would not be compassionate, responsible or possible to continue (the) festival,” the organizers wrote.
A race to find suspects
The neighborhood’s historic streets, now a crime scene, are scattered with abandoned sneakers, plastic cups and toppled coolers left behind in the shooting chaos. The belongings are those of people who went out to share a drink and listen to music with friends before they were forced to run for cover.
Police are now asking people to avoid the area as they scour the scene. The department said it had extra officers on duty for the festival, including a large group of off-duty officers working for the event itself.
During the news conference, police didn’t answer questions about whether they have specific people of interest they are looking at.
“We are at the mercy of the evidence in the video that we’re collecting,” Gerken said at the news conference, where other city officials took to the podium to ask for the public’s assistance.
“I am imploring my fellow Toledoans to look through your cellphone video and reach out to TPD and help them catch the people who did this,” city safety director George Kral said. “Please help us help you,” he said.
Dodging bullets between food trucks and golf carts
Kevin Berry said he was sitting in the neighborhood arboretum listening to live music with friends when he heard a handful of gunshots ring out, he told The Associated Press.
“Everybody hit the deck,” he said.
When he looked back up, he saw a gun being tossed to the ground less than 50 feet away from him and officers who were already at the festival rushed to the scene, the AP reported.
Two festivalgoers said they heard multiple shots and saw panic break out, describing the scene as “pandemonium,” they told WTOL.
“Once I heard, ‘Everybody get back,’ everybody was falling, everybody tripping, couldn’t see what it was, couldn’t see nothing,” said one man, who asked to remain anonymous.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Hanna Park and Diego Mendoza contributed to this report.
