Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz released the following statement today regarding the shooting that occurred last night:

Thursday, September 03, 2020

The shooting that occurred last night at Avondale and Brown avenues isn’t just another grim statistic in a year that has been filled with them; it is an indication of just how broken the fabric of community has become in too many neighborhoods in our country.

There are no good outcomes when a child leaves his home with a loaded gun. My heart is broken for the families affected by last night’s shooting. But it also aches for all families who suffer the same sense of hopelessness that is at the root of the gun violence we have seen in recent weeks.

We are all familiar with the African proverb which says that it takes a village to raise a child. If that is true — and I believe that it is —then our entire village failed the children involved in last night’s shooting. We all failed them. We are all responsible for what happened, and as a result, we must all be a part of the solution.

There is plenty of blame to go around when an event like this occurs. Surely, the City of Toledo could have done more for these children. But more could have also been done by faith leaders, teachers, mentors, coaches, friends, family, and countless other members of our civic village.

What happened last night in our city has saddened me deeply, and I am prepared to roll up my sleeves and work on finding solutions. I hope others in our community join me in this work, because we all have a hand in creating the future our children will inherit.