Witnesses recount fear after festival shooting as Lucas County leaders offer mental health support to help residents cope with trauma.
TOLEDO, Ohio — The shock of the mass shooting near the Old West End Festival Saturday afternoon is still fresh for Tina Gionis, who says the reality of what happened has been difficult to process.
“I keep thinking, ‘It happened so close, so why didn’t it happen to me?” Gionis said.
Gionis said she was waiting for a band to take the stage when gunfire suddenly broke out feet away from where she and her family stood.
“It was like time froze,” she said.
In the chaos, Gionis said she instinctively ducked down and saw someone collapse in front of her.
“My 5-year-old was there, and his uncle grabbed him and hit the ground too,” she said.
Gionis, who has attended the festival for decades, said she never imagined experiencing something like this there.
“It was just very traumatic,” she said.
“I’m just trying to process it, and I’m having a hard time doing so,” Gionis said.
In the aftermath, she is seeking help through support services offered at a resource event hosted by the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County at the Kent Branch Library.
Elijah Jones, director of programming for the board, said events like the shooting can have lasting emotional effects across the community.
“People are concerned about their safety moving forward,” Jones said.
Organizers say connecting people with crisis hotlines, mental health professionals and practical coping tools can help them process what happened.
The event is one of several being held across the area to support community members, including neighborhood support sessions held on June 8 at Collingwood Presbyterian Church.
Jones said there is often pressure for people to quickly move on, but that approach does not reflect how trauma affects people.
“People do need help, and there is help out there,” he said.
As festivalgoers begin the healing process, Jones said outreach efforts will continue. The board is also planning additional support opportunities, including booths set up June 11-13.
“We’re working with city and county partners to figure out what more needs to be done and what more we can offer for the community,” Jones said.
For Gionis, she believes the path forward lies in connection.
“I think the community is probably the most important,” she said.
“Talking and not feeling isolated and just coming together, and I think that’s all we can do at this point,” Gionis said.
Additional support sessions are being organized by The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County at the Kent Branch Library throughout the week. The times they will be held are listed below:
Thursday, June 11, 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 13, noon-2 p.m.