Several people were shot and killed near a community street festival in Toledo, Ohio, on Saturday afternoon. Gunfire erupted near the annual Old West Side Music Festival, sending several victims to nearby hospitals, prompting a major emergency response and a search for a suspect, according to police.Toledo police said officers received a report of a shooting near the music festival around 5:30 p.m. local time. Upon arrival, they found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds.While authorities initially did not reveal the exact number of injured, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapzukiewicz later said eight people had been shot and all were expected to survive. Police said many of the victims had been taken to local hospitals for treatment, the Associated Press reported.The investigation is ongoing and efforts are being made to identify the suspect. A heavy police presence is maintained in the area as police continue to investigate.The incident occurred during the Old West Side Festival, a popular two-day community event in Toledo’s historic district. The annual festival features live music, food vendors, shopping and family tours. The festival is considered the unofficial start of the city’s summer festival season.Witnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire rang out among the crowd attending the event.Kevin Berry, who was listening to live music with friends at a nearby botanical garden when the shooting occurred, recalled hearing several gunshots before chaos erupted.“Everyone came on stage,” Berry said.Berry said that when he looked up, he saw a gun thrown to the ground less than 50 feet away as police officers already deployed at the festival rushed to the scene.Berry, a U.S. Navy veteran with medical training, said he immediately began looking for injured people who might need assistance.“The people who were hit were scattered around the botanical garden,” he said. Berry added that he saw at least five people suffering from gunshot wounds.Other festivalgoers told local media they heard multiple rounds of gunfire and witnessed people running in panic.In response to the incident, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said summer festivals should provide safe spaces for families and expressed confidence that law enforcement will identify those responsible.The shooting was one of at least 170 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the Archive of Gun Violence, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot.Police are urging the public to avoid the area while the investigation continues and are appealing for information that could help find the suspect.
