At least 12 people were shot near the Old West End Festival in Toledo, Ohio, on June 6, 2026. Two of the victims remain in critical or serious condition, according to police reports [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The victims ranged in age from 14 to 61 years old. Among those injured were teenagers and older adults who had been attending the festival, which drew several hundred people [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The shooting involved at least two individuals who were exchanging gunfire and appeared to be shooting at each other, Toledo Police Deputy Chief Joseph Heffernan said. "The shooters were probably shooting at each other," he said [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The gunfire erupted around 5:30 p.m. near the festival grounds, including the Delaware Avenue and Robinwood Avenue area, according to police [1, 2, 3, 5, 8]. Eyewitness Kevin Berry recalled, "Everybody hit the deck. I saw a gun being tossed to the ground less than 50 feet away." He also said he saw at least five people wounded [4, 9, 5, 10, 11].
The Old West End Festival is an annual two-day community event featuring live music, historic home tours, food vendors, and activities for children. The festival events planned for June 7 were canceled following the shooting [3, 4, 8, 5].
Multiple law enforcement officers were present at the festival, including off-duty police who responded quickly. Authorities are reviewing footage and interviewing witnesses to identify the suspects [1, 3, 4, 5]. As of June 7 and 8, police have not identified or arrested anyone connected to the shooting [1, 3, 4, 8, 5, 6, 7].
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said, "I am deeply concerned about the situation in Toledo. Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence." Ohio Senator Jon Husted called the violence "senseless" and thanked law enforcement for their response [3, 5, 6, 7].
George Kral, Toledo's director of public safety, urged the community for help in finding suspects: "I know there is information out there. Please help us help you," he said [1].
An Ohio county prosecutor promised swift action: "Justice will be swift and strong. Those who were frightened, traumatized or harmed by this violence will remain at the forefront of our efforts," the prosecutor said [4].
Authorities continue searching for those responsible as investigations proceed. The festival grounds remain closed to events planned for June 7.
