Prosecutors in Ohio have dropped all charges against a man arrested in connection with a shooting at Toledo's Old West End festival on 6 June that wounded 12 people.
Eljay Crisp-Carr, 20, had faced more than 50 felony charges, including 25 counts of attempted murder, and spent about five months in jail before his release.
Prosecutors request dismissal
During a hearing before Judge Lori Olender of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, prosecutors requested that the charges against Crisp-Carr be dismissed.
His mother, April Carr, told WKYC she was "ecstatic" about the outcome, saying: "I'm beyond excited because what mother wants their child to be broadcast across the world for something they didn't do?"
Defense cites evidence and ongoing investigation
Crisp-Carr's defense team believes another person involved in the shooting remains at large. Defense attorney Alex Bodiford told WKYC: "Now we're still concerned that there is still somebody out here who actually did do the shooting, and as far as we're concerned, that guy might be still out here still shooting."
According to WTVG, attorneys for Crisp-Carr said he was not at the festival when the shooting occurred and that they had video and cellphone evidence supporting his alibi.
The Lucas County prosecutor's office issued a statement explaining that the dismissal was without prejudice, meaning charges can be refiled if necessary, while acknowledging evidence that appeared to support Crisp-Carr's defense.
"Due to new and developing evidence, the state of Ohio asked the court to dismiss the charges against Eljay Crisp-Carr without prejudice, and the court granted the request," the statement said. "In September 2026, the Lucas county prosecutor's office informed Mr Crisp-Carr's attorney of discovery that may support his defense."
The statement also said the investigation is ongoing: "The Toledo Police Department continues its investigation. Both the department and our office remain committed to following the evidence and getting it right, just as we are in every case. As we said after the shooting in June, we will try this case in a courtroom, not in a court of public opinion."
Crisp-Carr maintains innocence
Speaking with WTVG after the charges were dropped, Crisp-Carr said: "God is good." He said he had always known he was innocent and believed authorities had mistaken him for someone else, possibly due to photographs. He said he had tried to explain he was not the individual in the photo, adding: "They told me I was a monster. They just incriminated me."
The shooting occurred when a fight between rival groups escalated into two people shooting at each other, though neither was among the wounded. Hundreds were attending the annual festival in a historic district of Toledo, and organizers canceled the second day of the event.
As of Friday, there had been more than 385 mass shootings in the US this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines such cases as those in which four or more victims are wounded or killed. The US has persistently high rates of mass shootings, prompting calls for more substantial federal gun control, but Congress has not implemented such measures.
