A mass shooting incident that left at least 12 people injured on 6 June at an summer festival stemmed from “a dispute involving two rival groups,” according to police.
On Tuesday, Police Chief Michael Troendle said that a dispute between rival groups led to a physical altercation that ultimately escalated into an exchange of gunfire, NBC News reported.
Here’s what happened
Earlier on 6 June, at least two gunmen fired shots just after 5:30 PM near the Old West End Festival in Toledo, police said over the weekend. A dozen people were hurt, with the oldest victim reported to be 61 years old and the youngest 14 years old, police Lt. Dan Gerken said, noting that most were in their early 20s.
As of 7 June, all 12 victims were in stable condition and improving, and no arrests had been made, police said.
Reports suggest that there were several hundred people present at the festival when the were heard. The annual festival is a beloved tradition in Toledo, and features live music, food markets, a beer garden, and an event for kids. There were extra police officers on duty for the festival and a large number of off-duty officers working for the festival itself, Deputy Police Chief Joseph Heffernan said at the time, adding that “mobile security cameras” were also used.
Heffernan added, “It’s just a shame when a few people, for whatever reasons are going through their heads, decide to disrupt something that has been a beloved community event for many, many, many years.”
Soon after the incident on 6 June, the Old West End Association, in a statement, announced that festivities scheduled for 7 June would be cancelled and added, “After discussion with festival organisers, law enforcement, and the City of Toledo, we feel that it would not be compassionate, responsible, or possible to continue the festival.”
What did the police reveal?
In a news briefing on Tuesday, Troendle said, “While investigators believe some of the victims were intentionally targeted, the majority of those injured appear to have been innocent bystanders caught up in this senseless act of .”
He added that detectives had continued conducting interviews since the incident and had “identified several persons of interest.” However, the gunmen believed to be responsible, according to police, are still at large.
Troendle stated that two firearms reportedly connected to the shooting were also recovered from the scene and are being examined. “While there’s still work to be done, I can tell you that investigators continue to make progress,” he said.
Ohio governor expresses concern
Soon after the incident was reported, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he was “deeply concerned” about the shooting. In a post on X, he wrote, “Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence,” and added, “[First Lady] Fran and I are praying for everyone impacted by the incident at the Old West End Festival, and we are confident that law enforcement will locate the suspects involved in this senseless crime.”
The Ohio incident was among at least two mass shootings reported across the over the weekend.
Nine injured in Kansas City
In a separate incident, nine adults were wounded in a shooting in City, Missouri, early on 6 June, according to police. Officers responding to reports of gunfire in an area about 10 miles south of downtown encountered a large crowd leaving the scene. Authorities said that all of the victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and that no arrests had been made.
Shooting incidents are becoming increasingly common in the US, with the country recording more than 170 mass shootings so far this year, according to data cited by the Gun Violence Archive.
