Authorities in Toledo, Ohio have taken a suspect into custody in connection with a weekend shooting that left 12 people injured at a busy community festival.
Twenty-year-old Eljay Crisp-Carr was arrested Thursday and now faces 11 felony assault charges. Court records show no legal representation listed for him, and attempts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful Friday morning.
The shooting occurred Saturday at the Old West End Festival in Toledo, where a park filled with vendor booths, live music and food trucks was hosting the annual celebration in a neighborhood known for its Victorian architecture. According to police, a confrontation between opposing groups led to gunfire between two individuals, though neither of the shooters was hit by bullets.
Court documents from Toledo Municipal Court detail a detective’s account of surveillance footage that captured Crisp-Carr taking part in the altercation. The detective stated that after someone else began firing shots, Crisp-Carr stepped away from the group before turning back to shoot randomly into the gathered crowd.
The investigating detective explained that witness accounts, social media posts and police photographs helped confirm Crisp-Carr’s identity. Law enforcement has also issued a warrant for the second shooter, Ka Nye Taylor, who remains at large.
The historic Toledo neighborhood, located on Lake Erie’s western shore approximately 55 miles southwest of Detroit, was hosting hundreds of visitors for the yearly celebration. Festival organizers called off the second day of activities following the violence.
The gunfire caused panicked festival-goers to run for safety while others stayed to assist the wounded alongside emergency responders and law enforcement. Those injured included people ranging from teenagers to someone in their 60s.
During a Tuesday press briefing, the police chief and other municipal leaders commended both officers and civilians who quickly aided victims.
“We saw strangers who were shocked and frightened by the violence they just saw, they jumped into action,” said Chief of Fire and Rescue Allison Armstrong. “They helped others by placing tourniquets, dressing wounds, applying pressure and comforting those victims until additional help could arrive.”
