12 Wounded Near Toledo Festival as Search Continues for Gunmen

Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum was filled with families, food vendors and live entertainment Saturday evening when gunfire erupted near the Old West End Festival, transforming a neighborhood celebration into a scene that sent people running across lawns, sidewalks and parking lots throughout Toledo.

June 6th drew thousands to one of the city's best-known summer traditions. Historic homes stood open for tours, musicians performed throughout the day and local businesses welcomed visitors before panic swept through the event and forced many attendees to flee toward streets lined with Victorian homes.

Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said at least two armed individuals appeared to be firing at one another when bullets struck people gathered near the festival. According to Heffernan, the exchange unfolded shortly after 5:30 p.m. and left wounded victims scattered near the grounds surrounding Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum.

Cellphone recordings posted online showed people dropping to the ground, rushing away from danger and helping wounded strangers reach safety. Other images showed emergency crews moving through crowded walkways while ambulances arrived from multiple directions as sirens echoed across nearby blocks.

A victim list released by authorities included people ranging from age 14 to 61. Police later reported that all twelve survived, though several required extensive medical treatment after being transported from the scene. Ages 14 through 61 appeared on the document released to the public.

Kevin Berry, a Navy veteran attending the festival, described hearing shots and immediately hitting the ground. Berry later told reporters he saw frightened families searching for loved ones and noticed a discarded firearm nearby after the shooting. "Everybody hit the deck," Berry recalled.

Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates promised aggressive prosecution once arrests are made. Bates described the bloodshed as deeply personal because many of those affected were friends, neighbors and longtime residents attending a cherished local tradition. "This is my home. These are my friends and neighbors. It is not OK."

Submitted photographs, cellphone recordings and witness submissions quickly became important pieces of information as detectives worked to identify those responsible. Officers asked anyone who attended the event to share images or recordings that could help establish movements before and after the exchange. Submitted photographs may become important evidence.

Old West End Festival organizers canceled scheduled Sunday programming while authorities continued searching for those responsible. No arrests had been announced during the early stages of the case as police pursued multiple tips connected to the shooting near the annual festival in Toledo.