Armed individual lunges at Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee during fair, campaign says
By Gregory Clary, CNN
(CNN) — An “armed individual” allegedly lunged at Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton on Sunday and injured multiple people at a fair in Canfield, Ohio, according to a spokesperson for her campaign.
“While attending the Canfield Fair, an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people,” Acton spokesperson Addie Bullock said in a statement. “Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured.”
The individual is expected to face two charges of assault and one count of disorderly conduct after two older adults were knocked down during the incident, Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene told CNN affiliate WFMJ.
Greene said law enforcement found two firearms on the individual and appeared to hold a phone or camera during the incident.
The person was arrested after knocking multiple volunteers to the ground as Acton visited the Mahoning County Democratic Party’s tent, according to party chair Chris Anderson.
“What happened at our tent today during today’s visit from Dr. Acton is reprehensible and should be condemned by leaders on all sides of the aisle,” Anderson said in a statement on social media.
CNN has reached out to the Acton campaign, Canfield Police Department and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s department for more details.
Acton, the former director of Ohio’s Department of Health, is running against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in a closely watched race for the governor’s office.
Ramaswamy’s campaign denounced the incident in a statement on Sunday evening.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” communications director Connie Luck said. “What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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CNN’s David Wright and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this report.
