At approximately 5:37 p.m. Friday, shots rang out near Delaware Avenue and Robinwood Avenue, a food and music area inside the Old West End Festival, according to the Toledo Police Department.

At least 12 people were hit. Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan confirmed two were in critical condition, according to CNBC. The other ten are expected to survive, per Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, who spoke to local outlet WTOL 11.

As of Saturday morning, no suspect is in custody. Police are searching for a "suspect or suspects," per the BBC. The investigation is active.

Two People Firing at Each Other in a Crowd

Heffernan told reporters it appeared at least two people were firing weapons who were "probably shooting at each other." This was not a mass shooter targeting a crowd, but two individuals settling something — with 12 bystanders paying the price.

Eyewitness Kevin Berry, a Navy veteran with medical training, told CNBC he was in the arboretum listening to live music when the shots started. "Everybody hit the deck," he said. He then watched someone throw a gun to the ground less than 50 feet away from him. He walked the area afterward and found at least five people with gunshot wounds himself.

That gun being tossed is significant. Someone at that festival was carrying illegally — or at minimum, disposed of a weapon at a crime scene. Whether police recovered that firearm has NOT been confirmed in any source.

What Coverage Is Getting Wrong

BBC's headline called this "multiple people shot" — technically accurate, but their early reporting cited only eight victims. The confirmed number is at least 12, per AP News and CNBC citing Heffernan directly.

Fox News got the victim count right — 12 shot, 2 critically wounded — but their page buried the "two shooters" detail that reframes the entire story.

AP News and CNBC gave the most complete accounts, including Heffernan's "shooting at each other" assessment. This shifts the policy conversation from stranger danger at public events to the specific problem of people bringing personal disputes — and firearms — into crowded public spaces.

None of the outlets have pressed on why no arrest has been made more than 12-plus hours after the shooting, despite police officers already being on-site at the festival when it happened.

Officers Were Already There

Police officers were already on-site for the festival and responded immediately. They had a visible law enforcement presence. Someone still decided to pull a gun — or two people did.

According to CNBC, there should be body camera footage. There should be festival security footage. There should be witness accounts from officers who were feet away. As of Saturday, zero arrests have been made.

Toledo PD has not publicly explained why, 12+ hours after a shooting with a police presence on scene and eyewitnesses everywhere, no one is in handcuffs.

DeWine Issued a Statement. That's It.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine posted on social media: "Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence."

True. He said he and his wife "Fran" are praying for victims. But Ohio has a crime problem, Toledo has a violence problem, and prayers from Columbus don't change that.

DeWine has offered no specifics on state resources being deployed, no call for accountability from Toledo PD on the arrest timeline, and no policy response of any kind.

What Happened

Two people — allegedly shooting at each other — turned a community festival into a crime scene and wounded 12 strangers. This was not a story about public events being inherently dangerous, but about individuals who carry guns to festivals and use them in crowds.

The Old West End Festival is described by attendees as the "kick-off to Toledo's summer festival season." Families show up. People bring kids. And someone brought a personal beef and a firearm into the middle of it.

Until Toledo PD makes arrests and explains why it's taken this long given officers were on the scene, the community has every right to be furious.