Police search for two suspects in Toledo festival shooting that injured 12

Gunfire tore through the edge of Toledo’s Old West End Festival as hundreds of people gathered near Delaware and Glenwood avenues, turning a neighborhood celebration into a mass-casualty scene in seconds. Police said at least two shooters appeared to exchange fire around 5:37 p.m. Saturday, leaving 12 people wounded and sending festivalgoers scrambling for cover.

The shooting unfolded beside the annual two-day festival in Toledo’s historic Old West End neighborhood, where the event typically draws crowds for live music, food vendors, home tours and shopping. By Sunday, the rest of the festival had been canceled as investigators worked the scene and processed two firearms recovered during the investigation.

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said all 12 victims were expected to survive. Officials said the wounded ranged in age from 14 to 61, underscoring how quickly the violence spread through a public event built around families and neighbors rather than barriers and checkpoints.

Kapszukiewicz said some of the victims were intentionally targeted, while the majority were innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. Deputy Chief Joe Heffernan said officers responded quickly and believed at least two shooters were firing at each other. Police Chief Michael Trinley said investigators had significant leads and expected arrests soon.

The episode exposed the hard reality for city officials who oversee large summer gatherings: the more open and welcoming the setting, the harder it is to harden without changing the character of the event itself. In Toledo, that tradeoff became visible in an instant, as a neighborhood festival known for music and house tours was suddenly defined by a search for suspects and a count of the wounded.