TOLEDO, Ohio — Police are investigating a deadly overnight shooting in east Toledo that claimed the life of 20-year-old Salvador Ruiz, marking one of three fatal shootings in the city between July 4 and the early morning hours of July 5.
Officers responded shortly after midnight to a report of gunfire near Platt and 1st streets, where they discovered Ruiz inside a vehicle, suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital but later pronounced dead. A second person in the vehicle was not shot, according to authorities.
Detectives have launched a homicide investigation, and Toledo police are urging anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling or texting Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111, with the possibility of receiving a cash reward.
Just minutes after locating Ruiz, officers were called to another scene less than three minutes away on Nevada Street, where a vehicle had crashed. Inside, they found two more gunshot victims. Amir Thomas-Clair, also 20 years old, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Another individual from the vehicle remains in critical condition as of Saturday morning. A third occupant was not injured.
Police have not released any details about suspects or confirmed whether the two incidents are connected.
The back-to-back shootings have cast a shadow over the holiday weekend in Toledo and added to growing concerns about gun violence in the city. The deaths of Ruiz and Thomas-Clair, both just 20 years old, are part of a series of violent incidents that have left families shattered and communities on edge.
Authorities continue to investigate and are calling on the public’s help to bring answers and justice to those affected.
