At least a dozen people were injured yesterday, Saturday, in the city of Toledo, in the US state of Ohio (Northeast), on the sidelines of a local festival, police informed, who at this stage have not arrested any suspects.
“Twelve people were injured by bullets,” two of whom are in serious condition, Toledo’s deputy police chief Joseph Heffernan told the press, adding that no suspects have been detained so far.
In initial reports, at least two people opened fire, he explained. “They probably fired at each other,” he assessed.
The incident was recorded near the Old Town, where the two-day Old West End Festival, which each year offers visitors concerts, markets, fairs and events, is underway, according to its website.
Authorities are taking statements from eyewitnesses and reviewing video recorded by bystanders on cellphones. They urged citizens to share any information that could help them apprehend the suspects.
According to Dan Gerken, a police officer, most of the victims were in their mid-twenties. “I’ve been to a lot of crime scenes, but this was truly something that was not common,”
There are more firearms in circulation in the US than there are residents and access to them, or obtaining them, is generally an easy task. The country counts thousands of deaths each year due to violent gun-related incidents, more than any other economically developed nation, not even counting suicides.
