Several people were shot on Saturday afternoon near a community street festival in Toledo, Ohio, in the United States. Several victims were taken to nearby hospitals after the shooting near the annual Old West End festival, according to police, prompting a major emergency response and search for suspects.Toledo police said officers responded to reports of shots fired near the festival around 5:30 p.m. local time. Upon arriving at the scene, they found several victims suffering from gunshot wounds.Although authorities did not initially disclose the exact number of people injured, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszkiewicz later said that eight people had been shot and all were expected to survive. According to the Associated Press, police said several victims were taken to local hospitals for treatment.Currently investigation is going on and efforts are on to identify the suspect. A significant police presence was maintained in the area as officers continued their investigation.The incident unfolded during the Old West End Festival, a popular two-day community event held in Toledo’s historic district. The annual celebration includes live music, food vendors, shopping, and home tours. The festival is considered the unofficial start of the city’s summer festival season.Eyewitnesses said that there was an atmosphere of panic among the crowd attending the program due to the sound of gunshots.Kevin Berry, who was listening to live music with friends at the nearby Arboretum at the time of the shooting, recalled hearing several gunshots before the chaos broke out.“Everyone hit all hands on deck,” Berry said.Berry said that when he looked up, he saw a gun thrown on the ground less than 50 feet away, while police officers already deployed to the festival rushed to the scene.Berry, a U.S. Navy veteran with medical training, said he immediately began searching for injured people who might need assistance.“The people who were affected were spread out around the Arboretum area,” he said. Berry said he personally saw at least five people injured by gunshot.Other attendees of the festival told local media that they heard several rounds of firing and saw people running in panic.Responding to the incident, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said that summer festivals should remain safe places for families and expressed confidence that law enforcement would identify those responsible.The shooting is one of at least 170 mass shootings recorded this year in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot.Police have urged the public to avoid the area while the investigation continues and have appealed for information that could help locate the suspects.