The Fourth of July weekend saw 7 homicides in Toledo, 6 of which were due to gun violence.
TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz addressed in his weekly newsletter the recent string of violence that led to seven homicides over the holiday weekend, six of which were due to gun violence.
In his message, Kapszukiewicz described the uptick as “out of character” for the city of Toledo, which has seen a substantial decrease in homicides since they peaked in 2021. By the middle of this year, homicides were 21% lower than they were in 2024, which itself was lower than the years before it.
Kapszukiewicz attributed the four-year decrease in homicides to a variety of factors, including hiring more police officers and investing in youth programming.
But the impacts of the weekend’s events were felt across the community, Kapszukiewicz said.
“Not only did 6 of our neighbors lose their lives to senseless gun violence, but every resident of Toledo felt a measure of anger, frustration and anxiety that is damaging to the fabric of the community we are building,” he said.
He said that, despite the shock of the recent violence, the city can still prevail.
“I have always said that Toledo is a family, and right now our family is hurting,” Kapszukiewicz said in the newsletter. “Let’s join hands and work together to make sure our community heals and emerges from this challenge stronger than we were before.”
According to WTOL 11 records, as of June 29, there had been 15 homicides in Toledo as of June 29; after the Fourth of July weekend, that number increased to 22.
The full statement
Kapszukiewicz’s full newsletter comments are included below:
“While it’s important to celebrate the many positive things happening in Toledo, it’s also important that we reflect on the negative events that occur from time to time — so we can learn from them and chart a better path for our future.
The 4th of July weekend in Toledo was a difficult one. Our community experienced a level of violent crime that was unexpected, unacceptable and heartbreaking. Not only did 6 of our neighbors lose their lives to senseless gun violence, but every resident of Toledo felt a measure of anger, frustration and anxiety that is damaging to the fabric of the community we are building.
A weekend like we had would always be devastating, but what makes this seem even worse is that it is so out of character for what is the norm in Toledo. Crime in Toledo — and especially gun violence — has been steadily declining for the past 4 years, year after year.
Three years ago homicides in Toledo went down by 43%. Two years ago they decreased by an additional 30.8%. Last year they declined by an additional 18%, and half way through this year, we had 21% fewer homicides than we had last year.
Declining crime and homicides have been the norm in Toledo for the past 4 years — which is what makes what happened last weekend so sad and shocking.
Toledo will get through this difficult time, even as we grieve the lives we have lost. We will continue to do the things that have helped us lower our crime rate over the last 4 years — hiring more police officers, investing in more youth programming, targeting the root causes of the hopelessness that can lead to violence — and we will encourage all of us to examine the things we each may do to make a difference.
I have always said that Toledo is a family, and right now our family is hurting. Let’s join hands and work together to make sure our community heals and emerges from this challenge stronger than we were before.”
Holiday weekend homicides
The violent events began in the early morning hours of July 4 with a stabbing in east Toledo that left 35-year-old Marcus White dead. The suspect in White’s death, Paris Johnson, 35, was arrested on murder and felonious assault charges.
A teenager was killed and a woman was injured in a shooting in south Toledo Friday afternoon. Toledo police Lt. Dan Gerken said the woman is expected to recover. The second victim was identified by police as 17-year-old Jaycion Bennett. Three teenagers – ages 13, 14 and 17 – have been charged in his death.
Just after midnight on July 5, near Platt and 1st streets in east Toledo, officers found 20-year-old Salvador Ruiz inside a vehicle and shot at least once. Ruiz died at the hospital.
Minutes after officers located Ruiz, two other shooting victims were located in a crashed car 3 minutes away on Nevada Street, also in east Toledo. Amir Thomas-Clair, 20, was found shot at least once and died at the hospital. A second victim inside the car is hospitalized in critical condition as of Saturday morning.
Early Sunday, a shooting took place outside Agenda Sports Bar and Grill on Matzinger Road in north Toledo, police said. Four victims were wounded in the shooting. Christopher Bourn, 31, died at the scene and a second victim, Stefan Garrett, 37, died at the hospital. Two other victims were hospitalized in critical condition.
RELATED: 2nd victim dies after being shot outside north Toledo bar overnight; 2 others in critical condition
On Tuesday, police confirmed that 59-year-old Anthony Brown’s death was under investigation as a homicide. Brown was found with gunshot wounds to the chest in a residence in the 300 block of Sumner Street on Sunday.
This article was published by Karmann Ludwig on 2025-07-09 15:55:00
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