Acton unharmed after armed person lunges at Ohio fair

An armed person lunged at Amy Acton, Ohio’s Democratic nominee for governor, during a campaign stop Sunday at the Canfield Fair, injuring several people before law enforcement intervened, her campaign said.

Acton, a physician and former Ohio health director, was not hurt. Her campaign said the incident happened Sunday afternoon while she was visiting the annual fair in Mahoning County, near Youngstown. A photo shared with NBC News by an attendee showed Acton remained at the site to help attend to one of the people who was injured.

The extent of the injuries was not immediately known.

Acton and her husband, Eric, “are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured,” campaign spokesperson Addie Bullock said.

“This kind of violence has no place in Ohio,” Bullock added. “Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another.”

Christopher Anderson, chair of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, said the incident occurred at the county party’s tent during Acton’s visit. In a statement cited by CBS News, Anderson said the suspect knocked volunteers to the ground and was arrested with “multiple weapons.”

“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 wrote on Facebook. “MCDP is grateful for the quick response by our local law enforcement officials as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol providing Dr. Acton security.”

Law enforcement agencies did not immediately provide details about the suspect or the investigation. Canfield police told NBC News they did not have immediate information about the incident or a suspect. CBS News reported that the fairground’s police department referred questions to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department, which did not immediately return a message seeking comment. The Ohio State Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to requests for information from the outlets.

Acton is running against Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy in the November general election to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Ramaswamy, a businessman who ran for president in 2024, had also been scheduled to visit the fair Sunday afternoon.

“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck said in a statement. “What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope… that no one was hurt.”

DeWine said Sunday that he and his wife had spoken with Acton and were grateful she was not injured.

“Violence or the threat of violence at political or public events is always unacceptable,” DeWine said. “This case is now in the hands of law enforcement and will be investigated thoroughly.”

Acton served as Ohio’s health director under DeWine in the early days of the Covid pandemic. Polls have indicated a close race between Acton and Ramaswamy, NBC News reported.