Twelve people have been shot near an annual historic festival in Ohio sparking a huge emergency response and sending crowds running for their lives.
Police from Toledo and Lucas County, along with multiple medical units, responded to the Old West End Festival just after 5.30pm Saturday following reports of a person shot near Delaware Avenue and Glenwood Avenue, according to authorities.
Officers discovered multiple shooting victims upon arrival, many of whom have since been transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Witness Kevin Berry told the Daily Mail he personally observed at least five or six victims being struck by gunfire, including one graze wound and another shot to the head.
‘Everybody hit the deck,’ he said.
He described seeing an elderly woman fall to the ground, who he believed appeared to be experiencing heart attack symptoms during the commotion.
Berry, a Navy veteran with medical training, said he heard up to eight gunshots and saw a gun drop, but did not see the shooter, who he believed fled on foot.
‘The Toledo Police Department is actively searching for the suspect or suspects involved,’ authorities said in a news release.
A shooting near Old West End Festival in Ohio sparked a massive emergency response on Saturday
Witness Kevin Berry told the Daily Mail he personally observed at least five or six victims being struck by gunfire
A witness on Facebook wrote: ‘People were bleeding. EMTs were called’
Emergency crews tend to a victim of the festival shooting. Witnesses have described their horror as gunfire rang out
Berry said the shooting appeared to come out of nowhere, with the first gunshots heard while the band was still playing. He also shared that it appeared to be entirely random, with no clear target or intent.
He said he ran around attempting to flag down officers for those who had been struck by gunfire, adding that police reached the scene ‘quickly.’
At a press conference police confirmed 12 people had been injured and two of them were critical. The victims are aged between 61 and 14 years old.
Police Lieutenant Dan Gerken told the press conference: ‘As far as violence… I’ve been to a lot of scenes, but this is way over the top.’
Deputy chief of Toledo Police Joseph Heffernan added: ‘It appears as though at least two shooters. We think they were shooting at each other.’
Videos shared on social media showed chaos as people ran from the scene, with injured victims seen walking in bloodied clothes and others taken away on stretchers.
Tony Toledo, a Defiance, Ohio resident, shared a chilling Facebook post saying he attended the Old West End Festival to relive his college days when shots were fired just 30ft away from him.
‘I was eating ribs. Dropped the ribs. Every person at the park stopped to the ground. I am ok,’ Toledo wrote.
Gunshot victims were taken to hospital. Two are currently in a critical condition
Police stand near where multiple people were shot at a community festival Saturday
Witness Berry said he heard up to eight gunshots and saw a gun drop, but did not see the shooter, who he believed fled on foot
Witness Berry said the shooting appeared to come out of nowhere, with the first gunshots heard while the band was still playing
The multi-agency response includes Toledo police, Lucas County Sheriff’s deputies, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Toledo Fire and Rescue
‘Unknown to me the shooter ran past me ten feet way. He dropped his gun on ground ten feet from me,’ he added. ‘Another attendee was standing over the gun screaming for the police to get it. Cops got it immediately.’
‘People were bleeding. EMTs were called,’ Toledo wrote, adding that he learned two people had died, though that detail has not yet been confirmed by police.
‘There was a cop waving an automatic rifle screaming for us to leave the park,’ he said. ‘He didn’t need to tell me twice.’
Investigators are talking to multiple people and reviewing camera footage, Gerken said.
George Kral, director of public safety for Toledo, made a public plea for cell phone footage that can help the police find the suspects.
‘I know there is information out there,’ Kral said. ‘Please help us help you.’
Toledo mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz posted on Facebook after the shooting: ‘Toledo has faced more adversity over the years than most cities, and our citizens always rally together and pull through. This will be no exception.
‘What happened today at the Old West End Festival, sadly, has happened in too many American cities. 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 have appealed to festival goers to check their phones to see if they have footage that could help catch the shooters
Videos shared on social media showed chaos as people ran from the scene, with injured victims seen walking in bloodied clothes and others taken away on stretchers
Witness Berry said police responded ‘quickly’ to the scene
Police cars block the road where the shooting took place. The incident sparked a huge emergency response
‘Toledo is resilient and will emerge stronger because of the unity we show in this moment-and because of the brave men and women of the Toledo Police Department and Toledo Fire & Rescue Department, whose swift actions today saved lives.
‘Let’s pray for them tonight as we also pray for the victims of this senseless shooting, our city and country.’
At the press conference police said officers were already on the scene to police the festival and could act quickly.
‘The investigation currently includes scenes in the area of Delaware Avenue and Robinwood Avenue,’ Toledo Police Department said.
‘Residents and visitors are asked to avoid the area and expect a significant police presence as officers continue their search and investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident,’ they added.
In a statement to Facebook, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine wrote: ‘I am deeply concerned about the situation in Toledo tonight.’
‘Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence,’ he added.
DeWine concluded his statement by saying he was ‘praying for everyone impacted by the incident at the Old West Festival’ and is ‘confident that law enforcement will locate the suspects involved in this senseless crime.’
First responders help a woman who was injured at the mass shooting near the Old West End Festival
In a news release, authorities said: ‘The Toledo Police Department is actively searching for the suspect or suspects involved’
Police from Toledo and Lucas County, along with multiple medical units, responded to the Old West End Festival just after 5.30pm Saturday. A file photo of the festival
Toledo was hosting its 53rd West End Festival, described as the ‘biggest party of the year’ celebrating ‘one of the largest historic districts in the country.’
Several hundred people were at the event, Kral said. ‘This is one of the most iconic festivals in Toledo, and it’s a shame that something like this had to ruin it,’ Kral added.
Live music, dozens of food vendors, a beer garden, house tours and shopping kicked off with the King Wamba Carnival Parade on Saturday morning, opening the two-day event.
The festival posted to Facebook after the shooting that it would be cancelled on Sunday.
The post read: ‘Too often we turn on the news and learn of a celebration somewhere that turns into a tragedy. Now, that news comes from our own neighborhood. We are heartbroken about those that were injured at the Old West End Festival. Many people want to know how we proceed from such a dark place.
‘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 festival. Therefore, all festival events for Sunday, June 7, are cancelled.’
Anyone with information can text or call Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111. You can remain anonymous.
